Lost In Paradise
by DarkEnigma322
Summary: Season 4 AU. Elena is a vampire dealing with her blood lust and heightened emotions, most of all an overwhelming guilt. She decides to leave Mystic Falls behind, thinking that it would be best for her friends and family. On the road, she once again crosses paths with a certain Original. Will sparks fly?
1. Chapter 1 Hate Me

**Hello, everyone, I just want to say first and foremost, thank you for deciding to check out my story! This my first Vampire Diaries fic! The idea for this has been plaguing me for a while now and I just couldn't get it out of my head. So I figured why not write it down and see where it goes. This will be an Elena/Elijah fic, mostly because I think that they have such amazing chemistry and that Daniel Gillies is just _too_ awesome at what he does. Anyone agree? **

**The story will more than likely be a Season 4 AU. Elena is a vampire, so she's dealing with her heightened emotions and blood lust by essentially running away from everything. She ends up in Atlanta, Georgia, where you guessed it, Elijah happens to be. And you'll just have to read to find out what happens...Enjoy! **

**VVV**

**Chapter 1- Hate Me**

The door closed softly behind Elena as she stepped onto the front porch of the Gilbert home, one meager suitcase in hand. It held everything that she thought she would need- a few changes of clothing and toiletries that she had managed to squeeze in beneath the stockpile of blood bags. Her passport was stuffed into the outside zip pocket (in case she needed it) along with her cell phone and a wad of cash she had been saving. It wasn't much but, if she used it wisely, it would get her far away from Mystic Falls.

It was early morning, still dark, but she could feel the dawn approaching, as any vampire could. The colors of the coming daylight shown brightly in the eastern sky, as she seated herself in her car, nervously twisting her daylight ring around her finger. She breathed a weary sigh and started the engine, taking one last look at her childhood home before pulling away from the curb. Tears gathered in her chocolate eyes but she blinked them away, what she was doing was for the best. Or so she told herself.

She sucked in a deep breath to calm her anxiety as she passed the town limit, leaving everything that she had ever known behind. She took the country roads, hoping to make it harder for anyone to follow her. She wasn't exactly sure where she was headed just as long as she got away. She had been driving for a little while when her cell rang, she glanced at the number, recognizing it as Stefan's. Choking back tears, she let it go to voice mail.

Another few minutes passed and it rang again- Damon this time. Again, she let it go to voice mail, not in the mood to deal with his nagging. The Salvatore duo were one of the reason's she had decided to leave to begin with. She loved them both dearly, but she just couldn't bear the constant competition for her affection. It felt as if she was being pulled in two different directions and she was slowly ripping down the middle. She just couldn't choose between them, knowing that if she chose one it would hurt the other and tear them apart...no matter how much they denied it. She just couldn't choose, especially since her emotions had been heightened into the confusing bundle that they now were. So, even though it was breaking her heart, she chose to leave.

The brothers weren't the only reason for her sudden departure, however. Lately, she had found it difficult to look her friends in the eyes. With her new vampire senses, she could read so much in their eyes and facial expressions- weariness, sadness, fear, and, in some- Bonnie in particular, a minute sliver of hatred. After her transformation, even knowing that Klaus was dead, she had found it difficult to withstand the constant amplified guilt that she had suffered through silently as a human. So she had decided to leave and not interfere in their lives anymore than she already had. She knew that her friends and family loved her and they would sacrifice everything for her, but they shouldn't have to.

Another reason was that she was tired of being told how to live _her_ life. Stefan wanted her to be one person, Damon wanted her to be another, but she just wanted to be herself again. However naïve it was to say. Her cell rang again, so she flipped on the radio to ground out the noise. Eventually, after countless more calls, she decided to turn it off and leave it off.

When she felt herself getting thirsty, she pulled out a blood bag and drank. She wasn't sure what she would do when she ran out. She didn't trust her control enough to drink from a human, she had only been a vampire for a couple of weeks. She was proud of the fact that she, so far, hadn't killed any one. (Thanks to the constant supervision of Stefan or Caroline, unsurprisingly Damon thought it was inevitable and didn't try to reign her in.) But according to Stefan it could always happen, her small amount of control could snap and she would end up a 'ripper.'

Elena silently prayed that she never allowed herself to turn into something like that. Then again the only reason she hadn't at this point was that someone had always been there to stop her. Whilst traveling there would be no one to hold her back, no one to keep the darkness as bay. As the thought crossed her mind, Elena began to second guess her decision. 'Am I making the right choice?' she thought. She battled her inner turmoil, convincing herself for the thousandth time that what she was doing was right. Eventually, when her resolve over shadowed her doubt, she decided to continue on.

She had driven most of the day and through the night, thankful for once that she could now go without sleep at longer intervals. The next day she was surprised to find herself in the outskirts of Atlanta, but happy to have at least made it to a large city where she could hide more easily. She knew the Salvatore's would come after her, but she was doing her best to make it hard for them to find her. Of course, she wasn't sure what would happen if they ever did locate her but she was sure whatever it was, it wouldn't be pleasant...at least coming from Damon. He would most likely drag her back to Mystic Falls kicking and screaming, if Stefan allowed him to and, though she hated to admit it, he probably would.

She pulled into a parking space outside a small diner, located on the fringes of town. She would get directions to the nearest motel where she could get a room for the night, nothing more, she convinced herself. As she walked through the door the scent of the human customers overtook her senses. "Control yourself." she whispered quietly to herself, swallowing dryly, as she approached the counter. "Excuse me?" she managed to ask.

"How can I help you, darlin'?" a woman asked.

"I was wondering where the closest motel is?"

"It's a couple of miles away from here."

"Could you give me directions, please?"

"Of course." The waitress was kind enough to write them down on a napkin, as she offered Elena a cup of coffee.

"Oh, yes, thank you." Elena couldn't resist taking a sip from the warm cup and she couldn't hold back the sound of delight that escaped her lips.

"There you go. It's not in the best neighborhood though, so you might want to try somewhere else closer to the heart of the city." said the waitress, handing her the directions. As Elena reached for them she couldn't help but notice the woman's pulse, beating steadily beneath the skin of her wrist.

"This will do, thank you, for your help and for the coffee..." she said quickly whilst swallowing the sudden lump in her throat, throwing a small bill of money on the counter, and jumping up from her seat. She could feel her face changing, the veins protruding under her eyes that had no doubt gone black. She was thankful in that instant for her long hair, using it to shield her face from the surrounding customers so they wouldn't see her vamping out.

"You're welcome." the waitress called, as she practically ran out the door.

Once outside, Elena leaned against her car, heavily breathing in the fresh air. The overwhelming scent of blood had nearly caused her to attack that poor waitress. A great sense of guilt was starting to settle in the pit of her stomach nearly shattering her steely resolve, until she reminded herself that she _hadn't_ attacked. 'Not yet.' her vampire mind whispered. 'You could have just one taste, one little taste.' "No!" she told herself firmly, forcing herself to get in her car and drive.

She followed the directions to the shabby motel, but sat in her car for over an hour, reigning in her meager amount of control. Though she was proud that she had been able to force herself to leave the diner, she didn't want any more potential mistakes or near slip ups on her part. She finally walked up to the front desk and managed to check in, all the while holding her breath when she could. Grabbing the keys from off the desk, she stumbled up to her room and scrambled inside, glad to be away from any humans.

She sat down on the bed and drank another bag of blood, before she decided to take a shower and try to get a few hours sleep. Gathering her toiletries and a couple of the motels proffered towels, she stepped into the small bathroom. The hot stream of water helped to calm her and she eventually found herself dozing into a dreamless sleep on the room's bumpy but somewhat comfortable bed. Resting peacefully for the first time since she had died.

**VVV**

**Hopefully this first chapter doesn't suck to badly. Our 'favorite original' will more than likely show up in the next chapter or so, so stay tuned or keep reading or whatever it is you're supposed to do while waiting for another chapter...*shrugs* Oh, just another note- Elena thinks that Klaus is actually dead. Neither she nor anyone in her circle of friends, know about Bonnie's little switcheroo Tyler, so the original hybrid will probably show up again in some distant future chapter. **

**Also the title for each chapter will be the name of a song I think coincides with the chapter. For example, this first chapter is titled "Hate Me" referencing the song "Hate Me" by Blue October. So, if you want to, you should check out the artists. **

**Please, leave a review and tell me if I should continue or if this is a completely lost cause. It will be good to hear what you think, regardless. =) **


	2. Chapter 2 Start Again

**VVV**

**Chapter 2- Start Again**

A few hours later, Elena awoke to find that it was sunset. Feeling somewhat more refreshed, she decided to take a walk and see the city. She still wasn't certain if she would, or could, stay in Atlanta. No doubt the Salvatore's were already on her trail. She breathed a sigh and made the decision to call Caroline, before she went on her walk, after seeing that she had called repeatedly over the past several hours.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself, and dialed the number. It managed to ring once before Caroline picked up, "Elena, where in the Hell are you?" she demanded, her panicked voice a few octaves higher than normal.

"Caroline, calm down. Please." she tried to soothe her.

"Fine. But you have a lot of explaining to do. Where are you? Are you in trouble? Whatever possessed you to leave?" Caroline asked, all in one breath. "Is she okay?" Elena heard Bonnie ask in the background.

"I can't tell you where I am, Care. Just know that I'm not in trouble and that I'm doing this for myself. I...I just needed to get away from everything. Please, try to understand." She knew that if anyone of her friends would understand, it would be Caroline.

"Elena, are you sure that you're okay?" she asked more gently, after a moment, letting Elena know that she had accepted what she told her.

"Yes. Just tell Stefan and Damon not to come after me and tell everyone that I love them...and that this is for the best...at least for now."

"I will. But I'm afraid you're a little late on the whole 'Damon and Stefan not coming after you plan.' They left yesterday, a little while after we found that you were missing."

"Could you call them for me? I...I just don't want to talk to them or I would do it myself." Elena choked out, as tears gathered in her eyes yet again.

Caroline was uncharacteristically silent for a moment, "Sure, Lena. I'll call them for you, but you know I can't make any promises when it comes to getting them off of your trail."

"I know." Elena smiled bitterly.

"Just be careful, okay? Are you sure that you will be alright with your control?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. I've gotta go now, Care. I love all of you!"

"Bye, Lena. We love you too! Call me if you need anything!"

Elena pressed the end button and fell into a fit of hysterics.

Some time later she managed to pull herself together enough to go for the walk she had originally planned. As she stepped out onto the sidewalk, a cool breeze swept through her long hair and she pulled her jacket tighter around herself. It was after dark and she remembered that she wasn't in the best of neighborhood's, when she noticed some men loitering about. She wasn't as afraid as she would've been had she still been human, but she was still cautious.

She walked a few blocks until she came upon a small bar. Stepping inside she could see several couples dancing on a makeshift dance floor, dancing to the hypnotic beat of the music, and others lounging at the surrounding tables. Elena walked toward the bar, hoping to convince the bartender to give her a drink without having to compel him. She wasn't usually one for drinking, but after the phone call she had just made, she felt she needed one. Unfortunately, the barkeep proved to be difficult, "I'll have to see an ID, sweetheart."

Elena rolled her eyes in frustration, realizing that she would indeed have to compel him, as much as she hated to. She got his attention again, looking directly into his eyes, "You will give me as many shots of bourbon as I want. You don't need to see my ID." she said, watching the dull look of compulsion dawn on his face.

"I will give you bourbon. I don't need an ID." he repeated, reaching for a freshly opened bottle of liquor and pouring her a shot.

"Thank you." she says to him, grabbing the shot glass and downing the fiery liquid in one gulp, totally oblivious to the pair eyes watching her from the back corner table.

**VVV**

Elijah Mikaelson sat in the back of the bar, furthest away from the noise of the dance floor. He had been meeting with an associate of his, a witch friend called Solange. Since his departure from Mystic Falls a couple of weeks prior he had been searching for a way to unlink Elena Gilbert from his mothers latest hunter, the vampire Alaric. Thus far he had had no luck. Every witch or warlock that he spoke to told him the same thing- Only the witch that created the link could undo it. Solange had been no different.

"I am sorry, Elijah. I know you want to find a way to keep your family safe." she had said to him, before taking her leave.

However, it wasn't just his family that Elijah was thinking of. If he didn't find a way to undo what had been done, Elena's life could very well be in danger from his less than hospitable siblings. Kol had made it undeniably clear to him the night that Niklaus had died that he didn't like running and Rebekah hadn't said anything either way but he could tell that she hated going back to the way things were when Mikael still lived. Elena had to be kept safe. He wouldn't let his past failures, first with Tatia and then Katerina, repeat themselves yet again.

Such were the troubling thoughts filtering into his mind, when he caught sight of the person that had just walked into the bar. 'Speak of the devil.' he thought to himself, watching her saunter forward toward a waiting bar stool.

He had always prided himself on being a patient man, but in that moment all he wanted to do was drag her outside and demand to know what she was doing in Atlanta. Katerina Petrova was a personal demon that had plagued him for over five hundred years and he would be damned if he allowed her to pull any of her tricks on him again.

His eyes narrowed in suspicion, his senses on high alert, glancing quickly around the establishment for any more potential threats. Katerina- he could easily take care off, he merely did not want to be caught unawares and ambushed. He found a small amount of relief at the realization that there were no others, aside from the drunken humans lounging about or dancing. It was only Katerina.

As he looked at her, however, he realized that something was amiss. Her hair was straighter than normal, the usual sinful pout of her full lips was gone, and when she spoke the tone of her voice was slightly...off. But it had to be her, he had smelt her vampire scent as she had walked into the bar.

He watched as she compelled the bartender, convincing him to give her a drink. A shot was poured for her, which she downed in a second and motioned for another one as soon as her glass hit the wood of the counter. He decided in that moment to continue to observe and do nothing, he would bide his time...until she left the bar.

**VVV**

When Elena was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol in her system, she decided that she had had enough. She paid her tab and made her way out the door. Breathing in the cool Atlanta air to calm her buzzing senses, she decided to head back toward her room at the motel.

She was walking past a particularly dark alley way, not really minding her surroundings, when she was grabbed from behind and thrown against a brick wall. A vise like grip, like that of a python, settled around her throat, cutting off her air supply and making it difficult to speak.

"Katerina!" the name was growled in obvious disdain. "What in the blazes are you doing here?"

Finally Elena's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and she could tell whom it was that she had been grabbed by and, more importantly, why they were so familiar.

"I'm...not...Katherine." she managed to choke out.

Elijah's brow wrinkled in confusion, then realization dawned in his dark eyes. He recoiled his hand as if she had burned him with vervain. "Elena?!" he demanded.

**VVV**

**Okay, I know its another short chapter but that felt like the best place to stop. Oh, a cliffhanger! I'm horrible for it I know, but I've already started on chapter 3 so you hopefully won't have to wait too awfully long to find out what happens. **

**Now a little note about Elijah mistaking Elena for Katherine- In my opinion, he would have no knowledge that Elena had been changed. I don't think its something that Rebekah would willingly share with him, especially knowing that she broke his word, his promise that Elena would be safe. (Also because of this, he doesn't know that Alaric is dead.) So when he saw that Elena was a vampire he automatically thought it was Katerina, for obvious reasons. Anyway, I hope I made it at least believable. **

**The title of this chapter comes from the song "Start Again" by Red. Probably not one of their most famous songs but good none the less, at least in my opinion. Now onto my thank you section... **

**THANK YOU- ****HillywoodIsLife, destinoscelgo, beverlie4055, aisha99022, xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx, siberia21, JemmaZoey, Navidasti, doctor-bacon, fanboy32, Nightwing's Gal, SoUtHeRnBeLLe706, hvnsllbbygrl, artzygal, and ma5dz, for the reviews, for following and for adding this story to your favorites! It was so good to hear from all of you! Keep the support coming! **


	3. Chapter 3 Weight of the World

**VVV**

**Chapter 3- Weight of the World**

"Have either of you stopped to think that maybe you're part of the reason why she left in the first place?" Caroline grumbled, via cell phone.

"What are you getting at, Barbie?" Damon demanded on the other end.

"She said, and I quote, 'Could you call them for me? I just don't want to talk to them...' Is that not enough of a clue for you?"

"Whatever. Look, we need to find her and bring her back to Mystic Falls." Damon said, completely ignoring Caroline.

"Bonnie, do you think you could do a locater spell?" Stefan asked.

"I don't think thats a good idea, Stefan. I agree with Caroline, give Elena some time to herself."

"Are you hearing yourselves?" Damon demanded.

"Damon." Stefan's voice said, in a warning tone.

"No! Elena needs to be brought back."

"Why?" Caroline demanded. "So the two of you can continue to vie for her affections like two love sick puppies? Do you realize how selfish you sound right now, Damon?"

"Well, it is Damon we're talking about." Bonnie muttered quietly.

"Caroline," Stefan cut in. "you know as well as us that the cravings are at their worst the first few weeks after transition. We need to find Elena before she does something that she'll regret."

"Don't give me that excuse, Stefan. You know that Elena has been doing extremely well. You just want her back as much as Damon. And neither of you can see what this little love triangle is doing to her. Leave her alone for now!" she said, hanging up the phone before either had the chance to respond. "Bastards." she mumbled.

"Maybe you got through to them." Bonnie said, soothingly.

"I doubt it."

"You tried at least." she shrugged. "I agree though, if Elena is ever going to get her life back in order she does need some time away from the Salvatores."

"Damn straight." Caroline responded, causing Bonnie to smirk then she grew serious again.

"Hey, how are you? I know you've had a tough time with...everything." she was going to say, 'loosing Tyler' but considering what she knew she thought it best to not voice it.

"I...don't know anymore." Caroline said, running a hand through her blonde tresses. "I miss him so much and yet, I kinda feel bad."

"Bad? Why?"

"He's gone and I'm still here and no one knows why. By all means, Stefan, Damon, and me should have died too...if Klaus was really the creator of our bloodline." Caroline grumbled.

Bonnie only managed to nod, unable to say anything for a moment, then, "Just stay strong, Care. You'll get through this."

"I know." Caroline sighed. "I'm surprised we're all still relatively sane after everything that's happened. I suppose that's why Elena left, she couldn't take any more of the crap we have to go through."

"Yeah." Bonnie whispered, thinking about all that had happened within the span of that three years. "Well, I'm gonna go, I guess. I have something I need to take care of. Call me if you hear anything else?" Bonnie asked, gathering her grimoire and hand bag, slipping it onto her shoulder.

"I will." Caroline promised. "And thanks for listening."

Bonnie smiled uncertainly, "Anytime, Care." she said, hugging Caroline. "Anytime."

**VVV**

"Can you believe those two?" Damon said, frustrated. "'Give her some time.' 'She needs some time.'"

"Maybe they're right, Damon." Stefan replied, quietly.

"Oh, don't tell me you're joining their little 'independent Elena party.' Have you forgotten that at any moment she could go all 'ripper' and kill half the population of wherever the Hell she is?"

"Since when do you care about that part? The last time the subject came up you, yourself, said that it was inevitable that she kill." Stefan reminded him.

"Point taken. But we don't want her to get herself killed in the process now do we? If she does take a page out of your book..." Damon replied, watching Stefan wince at the reference. "and there happens to be, oh I don't know, a witch in the vicinity...she will die!"

"You don't know that. We don't even know if she will do any of that. She's been doing very well with her control, perhaps we're underestimating her."

"You know what, Stefan, if you want to turn tail and go back to Mystic Falls empty handed, then go. I'll find Elena on my own." Damon said, making a motion to open the passenger door of Stefan's car.

"No!" Stefan said, quickly, then, "I suppose since there is no talking you out of it, I might as well go along with you."

"See, little brother, we can compromise." he responded, looking smug.

**VVV**

"You are a...vampire?" Elijah asked, in utter surprise.

I took a moment for Elena to get catch her breath, then, "Yeah...I am." she said, her hand rubbing her throat where his fingers had been a second earlier, had she still been human she was sure that a nasty bruise would have been forming.

"How? When?" he couldn't quite form a coherent phrase.

"The night Alaric killed Klaus." she whispered.

He looked at her in silence, completely aghast at the new information.

"You didn't know that I had died and that Alaric was gone? Rebekah didn't tell you?" she asked, surprised that his sister would keep such a piece of information from him.

"No. I had no knowledge...What happened, Elena?" Elijah asked.

"It's a long story, Elijah." she admitted, in a weary tone.

All was quiet between them for a moment, while she allowed Elijah to digest the news of her death and transition. She sighed, "I was just heading back to my motel, care to join me and I'll fill you in on everything."

"Of course." he nodded, offering her his arm in an old fashioned gentlemanly gesture.

**VVV**

Bonnie arrived at the Mikaelson mansion, fidgeting nervously with the loose pages of her grimoire. She really didn't want to do what she was about to do. She didn't want to help the enemy but as long as Klaus was in Tyler's body, that would be a betrayal to her friends in itself.

She stepped out of her car and walked slowly toward the front door. Only to have it swing open when she was merely a few paces away.

"There you are. Come on, Nik wants to get this over with already." Rebekah sneered.

Bonnie could do nothing but glare back, "I didn't do this for him, or any of you, and he needs to remember it." she snapped at the blonde vampire.

"Right." Rebekah dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "Anyhow, this way." She ushered Bonnie across the threshold and into the parlor where Klaus was waiting. It was odd seeing his usual sadistic expressions on Tyler's normally friendly face. Bonnie just wanted to get this over with so Caroline would have Tyler back and Klaus would stop badgering her.

"Alright, lets hop to it. Chop, chop." Tyler's voice said to her, causing a chill to run the length of her spine.

"Fine." she said, setting her grimoire onto the table and flipping it open to the proper page. "I'll be happy to be done with this!" she complained, before starting to read the Latin inscription aloud.

"You are not the only one, love." Klaus mumbled to himself.

**VVV**

Elena guided Elijah back to her less than luxurious accommodations. Upon seeing her quarters he sneered in distaste. "You know, I have an extra room at my home outside the city limits, if you wish to leave behind this apparent no star, roach den that you call motel." he suggested, looking disgustedly around the small space. He was surprised at himself for having offered her a place to stay, but at the same time he didn't like the idea of her staying in such a place alone, especially when someone could now mistake her for Katerina.

"Thanks, but I'm really not sure how long I'm going to be staying in Atlanta. It could be a day, a week, who knows." she shrugged. "I just hope that I can avoid Stefan and Damon." At this Elijah raised his brow. "Like I said, long story." she said, quietly.

"Would you care to elaborate?" Elijah asked, perching in the one and only chair.

Elena sighed a weary sigh, sinking down onto the bed, "Matt and I were driving back into Mystic Falls, after he and Jeremy's attempt to get me out of town." she began. "When we were about to cross Wickery Bridge, Rebekah appeared on the road before us and Matt, not wanting to hit her, drove over the side into the water. Stefan arrived and I made him pull Matt out before me. I drowned. The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital morgue in transition."

Elijah could have cursed his ignorance, of course Rebekah would pull something like that, "So my dear sister was the cause of your death?" he asked, an edge of anger coating his tone.

"Yeah..." she whispered. "not that I blame her."

"You do not blame her?" he asked, unbelievingly.

Elena shrugged, "Well, she's not my favorite person in the world nor am I hers, but I understand her reasoning. She did it to protect her family."

"You did not have to die, Elena. My siblings and I could have eluded Alaric long enough for you to have lived your life."

"Well, there isn't anything I can do about it now, if there ever was to begin with."

"Did you not make the decision to transition yourself?" Elijah asked, incredulously.

Elena laughed a bitter laugh, "Do you really think I had a choice? If I had decided to die, Damon would have forced blood into me one way or another and Stefan...Stefan wouldn't have stopped him. God, I didn't want to be a vampire!" she said, angrily wiping away the traitorous tears that began falling down her cheeks, glaring down at the carpet.

Elijah sat stock still, unsure of how to deal with an upset Elena. He finally stood from his seat and, in the next instant, she felt a hesitant but gentle touch under her chin, lifting her eyes from the floor. "I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am." he began. "Had I known, I would have stopped Rebekah. As it is, she broke my word that you would be safe. I am so very sorry, Elena, for letting you down yet again. I am deeply ashamed of both myself and my sister."

"It wasn't your fault. It wasn't your duty to protect me, Elijah, especially after everything I've done to you." she said, thickly, then paused, "In a way, I think it was kind of inevitable. A human can only cheat death so many times before it catches up to them...particularly when said human associates with vampires, werewolves, and witches." she smiled slightly.

Elijah nodded silently, then changed the subject, "Might I ask why you left Mystic Falls? Surely your friends have been helping you?"

"Yeah, they have been, but I just couldn't take it anymore."

"You couldn't take what, Elena?" he asked, quietly.

"The guilt." she whispered. "Do you know what it's like to look your friends and family in face and realize that everything that they've suffered, everything that's happened to them, has been your fault? If it hadn't been for me, Caroline would never have become a vampire, Tyler wouldn't have become a werewolf, Bonnie wouldn't have become a witch, Matt would still have his sister Vicki, Jenna and Alaric would still be alive, and Jeremy would be living a normal teenage life. They all would been living a life with no interference from the supernatural."

"I understand your frustration, Elena. But _you _must understand that you cannot keep blaming yourself for things that were far out of your control to begin with. Did you choose to be a doppelgänger?" he demanded.

"No."

"No, you did not. You were born and that is part of who you are. But you are so much more than merely that. Doppelgänger or not, you were one of the most brave and compassionate humans I have met in my thousand years on this earth." he told her, returning to his seat.

Elena shook her head, "After everything I've put my loved ones through...I'm no better than Katherine and her self centered delusions." she lamented, as she stood and paced across the room.

Elijah's brow furrowed, "Elena, you could never be Katerina and she could never be you. You both are two entirely different people."

"You don't understand, Elijah. I'm a vampire now..."

"Against your will." he interrupted. "Katerina chose to become what she is."

"Maybe so, but part of the reason why I left Mystic Falls, was because I couldn't make a decision between the Salvatores. I _left _them just like she did."

"I am sure your reasoning was entirely different from hers. You forget that I know Katerina all to well."

"Well enough to mistake me for her?" Elena couldn't help but question.

"Only because you are a vampire and, in my defense, I did not know that you had transitioned."

"True." she sighed. "I'm sorry. I guess I should thank you though, before tonight you've always been able to tell us apart."

"Again, you are both entirely different. Katerina cares only for herself whereas you care for everyone except for yourself. I imagine the reason why you left home was to keep your friends and family safe from any more danger."

Elena stopped her frantic pacing and sat back down, staring at him for a minute, "You know its kinda scary how much we really understand one another." she smiled.

"I suppose so." he smirked.

They were quiet for a minute, "I'm sorry...about Klaus and Finn."

"Thank you, Elena." he replied, after a moment. "I would say that your kindness, after everything my brother put you through, astounds me, but it doesn't."

She smiled softly, "Regardless of what happened, Klaus was still your brother, as was Finn, and I know what its like to lose family."

He gave her a silent nod to acknowledge her words. "Well, I guess I should be going." he said, glancing at his expensive wrist watch. "It's getting fairly late."

"So it is." Elena replied, glancing at the wall clock to realize it was half past eleven.

Elijah stood from his seat, "The offer for my extra room still stands and, before you ask, you would certainly be no bother to me, Elena."

"Are you offering me that out of guilt or because you feel sorry for me?" she asked.

"Neither. I should like to think that we are at least friends...even after everything we have done to one another."

Elena couldn't help but smile, "Friends?" she said, holding out her hand for shake.

"Friends." he replied, shaking her proffered appendage.

"And as for the offer, I think I'm okay here for now. But thank you anyway."

Elijah nodded, "Well, at the very least allow me to write down my cell number and address, should you need my assistance."

"Alright." Elena said, grabbing the motel stationary for him.

"There, call me if you need anything, anything at all." he said, handing her the paper.

"I will, thank you." She looked down at his eloquent script and couldn't help but remember the letter he had written and left for her a few months before. 'Always and Forever.' she thought.

She was about to open her mouth to ask him what he had meant by those words, the words that she had read over and over again trying in vain to figure out their meaning, but he beat her to the punch, "Be that our words of parting then. I bid you good night, Elena." he said, stepping toward the doorway.

"Good night, Elijah." she replied, softly, as he stepped out the door.

**VVV**

**A much longer chapter for you, my dear readers! Whew, there was a lot going on in this one...but hopefully it wasn't too confusing and I kept everyone in character. **

**So they've finally cleared the air, so to speak...and of course Elijah left. But don't worry, he'll come back into the picture. ;) Now as for the title of this chapter- its from "Weight of the World" by Evanescence, a pretty good song in my opinion, check it out if you like. Now to the Thank you section... **

**THANK YOU- ****xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx, bluwolf08, Merri85, destinoscelgo, beverlie4055, siberia21, lilylulurose, cdsnow, Kane the girl, Rock N Roll Can Save ur Soul, HydeHijacktGackt, SoUtHeRnBeLLe706, and JMHUW, for the continued support! Keep the reviews coming! Chapter 4 coming soon...**


	4. Chapter 4 Until The End

**VVV**

**Chapter 4- Until The End**

The first thing that Tyler became aware of was the pounding ache in his head. He slowly opened his eyes to find that he was laying on a floor, inside an unfamiliar room. 'What the Hell?' he thought to himself, starting to rise.

"Easy, Tyler." a voice said, with a slight pressure of a hand on his shoulder.

As his sight adjusted, he realized who it was, "Bonnie?" he questioned.

"Yeah." she replied.

"Where am I?"

"You're in my parlor, mate." another unwanted voice joined their conversation. Klaus.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Tyler couldn't help but ask.

"If that were the case, you and some more of your little gang would be dead as well, wouldn't you? As it is, you proved to be quite a good transport for these past weeks."

"'Transport?' What are you talking about?"

"Tyler..." Bonnie began, only to be interrupted.

"You see Bonnie here, helped me to possess your body for a time. In order to fool Alaric into thinking that he actually killed me and long enough for my dear sister to kill him."

"What?!"

"Tyler, I'm sorry! But it was the only way to save all of you." Bonnie pleaded for him to understand.

"You helped him? After everything that he's done to everyone?"

"If I hadn't, everyone I know and love would have died, Tyler. Caroline would have died!" she reminded him.

He sobered at her words, "So he did create the bloodline." he stated.

"Unfortunately." Bonnie mumbled.

"Of course." Klaus replied, smugly.

"That doesn't mean that I have to agree with what you done, Bonnie. You could have found another way."

"I'm sorry." she whispered, looking anywhere but toward him.

"Come now. It wasn't all that bad."

"You can just stay the Hell away from me." Tyler replied.

"Oh, is that any way to talk to your sire?" Klaus demanded, smirking.

"I broke your sire bond, you have no control over me." Tyler said, rising from the floor to stand toe to toe with Klaus.

"Are you sure of that, mate?"

"Yeah."

"Tyler, we should probably go and see if I can explain things to Caroline." Bonnie said, stepping between the two.

"Alright." he replied, after a minute, turning toward the door and walking outside.

She watched him go before grabbing her grimoire and heading out herself, only to be stopped by a hand on her forearm.

"Thank you, for your assistance. I wouldn't mind working with you again sometime." Klaus said, with a self satisfied smirk.

"Go to Hell." she said in reply.

"In all honesty, I probably would have, had you not prevented it."

Bonnie glared, jerked her arm from his grasp, and walked out the door.

**VVV**

After hours of driving, Stefan and Damon found themselves in the outskirts of Atlanta. They had followed Elena's trail to a rundown motel, where they found her SUV parked in the lot. They walked into the lobby. It was late, but a sleepy looking clerk sat behind the desk waiting for potential guests that would more than likely never come.

"Excuse us." Stefan began. "We're looking for this girl." He pulled a picture of Elena from his wallet and handed it to the clerk. "I don't suppose you've seen her?"

"I have actually. She rented a room here last night."

"Really? Do you know what room?" Damon cut in.

"Sorry, can't tell you. Motel confidentiality and all that." the clerk replied, not exactly liking Damon's tone.

Damon rolled his eyes and stared into the his, "What room is she in?"

"Room 32 on the third floor." came the answer in a compelled monotone.

"Thanks."

"Was that really necessary?" Stefan asked, as they stepped onto the creaky elevator.

"It worked, didn't it?" Damon responded as the doors closed.

**VVV**

It was after midnight, Elena sat cross legged on the bed, mindlessly flipping through the channels on the ancient motel television. In truth, her mind was too preoccupied by her talk with Elijah to really pay attention to much else. Try as she might she just couldn't figure out the puzzle that was the original vampire. She realized that he was truly sorry for what his sister had done. Yet she couldn't help but remember the incident several months prior when he had trapped her in the tunnels below the forest with that same vampire, who upon his order would have killed her. 'Would he have really given that order?' she thought.

She knew that he probably would have, had it come down to it. If the decision was between her and his family, his family would trump her life any time. But then he had made sure that it hadn't come to that (though she didn't agree with his methods) and that Rebekah hadn't hurt her.

Also, there was the confusing letter to consider. She pulled the creased and worn piece of paper from her suitcase where she had managed to stuff it in with her passport. She wasn't entirely sure why she had brought it with her and, until she had once again crossed paths with Elijah, she really had forgotten that she had.

The ink was starting to fade from having been unfolded and read so many times, but the words and their meaning were still there.

_Elena, _

_Today I did things I abhor to protect the one thing I value most...my family. If anyone can understand that, it's you. Your compassion is a gift, Elena. Carry it with you, as I will carry my regret. _

_Always and Forever, _

_Elijah _

"Always and Forever." she read aloud, her brow creasing in thought. She pulled out a blood bag and drank, as she read and reread the letter. 'What exactly had he meant by those three simple words?' She made a mental note to ask him about it the next time she saw him. 'Whenever that may be.' she thought.

She had just flipped off the television, when a voice caught her attention. It was outside, down the hall, and getting closer.

"The clerk said she was in room 32, right?" asked an all too familiar voice.

"Yeah. She's here, I can smell her scent." said another.

Stefan and Damon. 

Her eyes widened in panic, as she sat frozen, 'No! No, no, they can't find me!' she thought desperately.

Grabbing her suitcase, she stuffed the letter and her cell phone inside, and slung it onto her shoulder. Using her vampire speed, she ran to the lone window and shoved it open, stepping out onto the rusty fire escape. She made her way down the ladder as she listened to the noises above her. By the time she set foot on solid ground, she could tell that they had forced their way into the room.

She hesitated, 'Is it right to run?' she thought, glancing back up at the window. 'All they really want is to see if I'm okay.' It started to rain, Elena closed her eyes as she felt the wet drops on her face, mingling with her sudden tears. 'This is the right thing to do. I can't go back to Mystic Falls and face everyone. I can't continue being a constant danger to everyone.'

With that thought she turned and ran down the alley toward her SUV, noting Stefan's car parked a couple of spaces down from hers. Elena sat down in her seat and, knowing there was no other way to potentially stop them, she decided to write Stefan and Damon a note. Pulling out a small piece of paper, she quickly scribbled down what she wanted to tell them and sped over to Stefan's car, placing it on the driver's seat. She raced back to her vehicle, started it up, and quickly pealed out of the lot.

Even as her heart was breaking.

**VVV**

Elijah was absolutely livid as he dialed the familiar number. It rang several times before the recipient picked up. "Hello?" asked a bored sounding voice.

"How dare you, Rebekah!" he growled.

"Here we go. I've been waiting a while for this call." she replied, defiantly.

"You killed Elena! You broke my word and then you were too cowardly to tell me!"

"I did what _you_ should have done to protect this family! Alaric was a threat and the only way to deal with that threat was to kill Elena."

"She did not deserve to die, Rebekah! Alaric would have died eventually and we could have avoided him until that happened..."

"I didn't want to run anymore!" she interrupted. "I spent the better part of a thousand years running, Elijah! I wasn't about to do it again because of your little infatuation with that damn doppelgänger. Good riddance, I say!"

"Rebekah," he said, gritting his teeth. "sister, you have done many horrible things in the past and I've forgiven you for them. But this...you betrayed my word, my honor, Rebekah, and I'm not entirely certain I _can _forgive you this time." All was silent on the other end, as she digested his words. "And as for the job of protecting this family, you forget dear sister, that I am the one that has sacrificed and, on occasion, bled just to keep the rest of you safe. How dare you accuse me of not doing so now!"

"That may be so, Elijah, but you have always been blinded by those damn Petrova women. First Tatia, then Katerina," she spat the names like curses. "and you were just as enamored with Elena!"

"Elena is brave and compassionate, two things that you will _never _be, sister."

"What do you mean, 'Elena is'? She is dead, Elijah!"

"She is dead. But apparently she died with vampire blood in her system."

"And how would you know this?" Rebekah demanded after a lengthy silence.

"Because I spoke with her. I suppose that she decided that some time away from Mystic Falls was in order." he replied.

"And who might that be, sister?" Elijah heard a familiar voice in the back ground. 'Who was that?' he thought to himself, it couldn't be whom it had sounded like. Niklaus was dead, after all.

"Is that Kol, Rebekah? Is he back in Mystic Falls?"

"If you're done with your verbal lashing of me, Elijah. I have to go." she said, then hung up without answering his question.

He sat with the phone still to his ear, a little shocked at the voice he had just heard. It couldn't have been Niklaus, could it?

**VVV**

"Damn it! We missed her!" Damon said, after he and Stefan had searched the room.

"Look, maybe we should just consider leaving her alone. It's apparent that she doesn't want to see us." Stefan said.

"No." was the response.

"Damon, we need to respect her choices."

"Even if her choices could potentially get her killed?" he demanded.

"There haven't been any reports of mysterious deaths or missing people, so I think we're okay on that front." Stefan deadpanned.

"Well, I guess it's back to square one." Damon said, leaving the room. Stefan sighed and then followed him back down the hall to the elevator.

"She doesn't want to be found, Damon." he said. Damon simply remained silent.

They made their way through the rain back to the parking lot and, as soon as they stepped close to the car, they could smell her scent. It was faint, but it was still a comfort to them both. As Stefan opened the door, he noticed something fall to the floor. Picking it up, he discovered it was a folded piece of paper. His brow furrowed as he opened it up, seeing Elena's scratchy handwriting.

_Dearest Stefan and Damon, _

_First of all, I'm sorry for running. I know that the two of you are just worried about me and that you want me to be safe. But you have to understand that, right now, I can't return to Mystic Falls. I just can't face everyone knowing that I'm the reason their lives are so screwed up. I just need to get away from everything, even from the two of you. _

_Please, try to understand that what I'm doing is for the best. I know that I'm hurting the both of you by saying these words, but I don't want to be the reason that the two of you are torn apart. I don't want to be another Katherine. Know that I love you both and I'll always keep the both of you in my heart but please, just forget about me and go home. _

_Love, _

_Elena_

Stefan sat in silence after having read the note aloud to Damon, who sat opposite of him glaring at the piece of paper like he was trying to set it ablaze.

"I think we should listen to her and go home." Stefan said, after a moment.

"No."

"Damn it, Damon. What is it going to take to get you to give up? Is this note not enough of an incentive?"

Damon sat silently.

"She thinks she's doing the right thing by leaving us. She doesn't want to tear us apart the way Katherine did. It's only right that we respect that."

Silence once again engulfed them, then, "Fine." came the dejected whisper. 

**VVV**

Elena knew that the brothers probably wouldn't give up, they would still track her even after reading the note, so there was only one person who could help her. Having stuffed his address and phone number in her pocket after he had given them to her, she pulled the piece of stationary out, and glanced at the address. She decided it was time to pay a visit to Elijah's home.

She wasn't exactly sure how this meeting would go or if he had been simply being polite when he told her to ask him if she needed anything. But she also realized that at this point, he was more than likely the only one that could help her disappear.

After driving a while, she soon arrived at the house. It wasn't overly large the way Klaus' had been in Mystic Falls, but it was big enough to be comfortable and situated in the woods, away from any neighbors or prying eyes. It was a Civil War era home surrounded on all sides by tall pine trees, at least from what she could tell in the dark of night. A gray stone walkway led to the front steps which ascended onto a large front porch.

Elena sat in her car for a minute, gathering her courage. She stepped out into the rain and slowly made her way up the walk way. Stepping up onto the porch, she raised her hand to knock, but stopped. 'Maybe I shouldn't have came here.' she thought, biting her lip. Second guessing herself, she turned to leave, only to have the door open behind her.

"Elena?" Elijah's voice asked.

She slowly turned around to face him, "Hello, again." she smiled a small timid smile.

**VVV**

**So there's chapter 4! It would have been posted earlier but it didn't really want to be written...in fact I've written and re-written it several times and this is the end result. Hopefully it turned out alright. *shrugs* **

**I know, it may seem like I'm throwing them together rather quickly but remember Elena still has unresolved feelings for the brothers and she's not _in_ love with Elijah...yet. Granted, she's attracted to him and has some unconfirmed feelings for him, as he has for her, but at this point neither one of them is going to act on them. That will come later...; ) **

**The song for this chapter is "Until The End" by Breaking Benjamin. Now onto the Thank yous- **

**THANK YOU- ****xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx,** **lilylulurose, SoUtHeRnBeLLe706, cdsnow, Mizuki-Neko, Guest, jau0062, HisSecretLover18, artzygal, BookLover2401, Savannah Mayhem, and Gracounette, for all of the feedback! Keep it coming! Thank you all very much, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. More to come soon!**


	5. Chapter 5 There For You

**VVV**

**Chapter 5- There For You**

For once Elijah wasn't wearing in his usual attire, Elena noted. He was still dressed elegantly in dark slacks and a white button down shirt. But he had his sleeves rolled up to his elbow and the top two buttons undone, revealing the skin at the base of his throat.

"Please, come in." he said, ushering her into the house. "You are soaked to the skin."

"I didn't realize." she said, looking down at herself.

"Might I ask whatever possessed you to be out in such a downpour?" he wondered, as he led her into the parlor.

"Stefan and Damon found me at the motel." she replied, quietly.

"Ah, and you avoided them by running out into the rain." Elijah guessed.

"Among other things, yes." she said, pausing just inside the parlor doorway, glancing around the room. It was a dimly lit space, allowing the dark of the night to seep in through the windows. An unlit stone, fireplace took up part of the far wall and Elena couldn't help but wonder what it would look like with a fire blazing in the hearth. A tall bookcase filled shelf after shelf with numerous books, stood to her left and a large bay window took up the area to her right. It was dark, elegant, and sophisticated, just like the man standing next to her. She glanced at him, only to meet his gaze, and her earlier doubts returned tenfold.

She gulped,"Look, maybe I shouldn't have come here. I can just go." She started to turn toward the front door, only to have her wrist ceased in a gentle but firm grip.

"You are more than welcome here, Elena. After all, I thought that we had agreed to be friends?"

"I...I don't want to trouble you."

"I would hardly call your presence troubling."

She breathed a sigh, "You have an answer for everything, don't you?" she grumbled.

"I have not lived a thousand years for nothing." he replied, pulling her back into the parlor and sitting her down on the expensive looking couch.

'That I'll no doubt ruin with my new drowned cat look.' she thought wryly.

"One moment." he said, vanishing. He returned with a blood bag, a towel, and a bundle of folded clothing. "I do not really have anything that would be more suited to your size, so I fear that these will have to do. There is a washroom through there."

"Oh, I...I have my clothes...in my car...out in the rain." she huffed, realizing that she hadn't brought her bag inside with her, since she hadn't been sure if Elijah would really welcome her or not.

"I can retrieve your luggage, if you like." he offered.

"No, that's alright. These will do for now. Thanks." she said, rising from her seat and walking into the bathroom. After pulling off her soaked sneakers and socks, she pealed off her wet clothing, and slowly dressed in the pair of dress slacks and the blue button down shirt that he had given her. They were a little large on her small frame, but they would do. 'Of course he wouldn't have anything like sweat pants and a tank top.' she smirked at the thought of regal Elijah dressed in such common wear.

Feeling much more comfortable and dry, she stepped back into the parlor to find Elijah building a fire in the fireplace. "You know you don't have to do that for my sake. After all, it's not like the cold can bother me now."

"Perhaps not, but there is nothing like a roaring fire to make you feel warmer." he said, turning to face her and freezing for the briefest of moments, swallowing dryly.

"I suppose." Elena smiled, uncertainly. "I'm sorry to invade your privacy like this." she offered.

"As I said, it is no trouble." he replied, tearing his eyes away from her, emptying the blood bag into a glass and handing it to her. "Here."

"Thank you." she said, taking the proffered blood and taking sip.

"I will go and put your clothing in the dryer. I will return in a moment." Elijah said, disappearing. Within a minute he was back, "Please, sit." he said, motioning toward the couch. She did as she was told and sat, he took a seat across from her in a leather arm chair.

A comfortable silence stretched between them for several moments, both lost in their thoughts, gazing into the dancing flames in the hearth.

"So, if I may, might I ask how you ended up on my door step?" he asked, curious.

Elena was silent for a moment longer, then, "Well, I...I thought maybe you could help me disappear...for a while." she replied, quietly, gazing down into her glass of blood. "Like I told you, I need to get away from Mystic Falls and if Stefan and Damon find me, they'll be all for dragging me back there." She glanced up, meeting Elijah's dark gaze for the second time.

"You know you have the ability to deny their wishes." he stated.

"I'm sure you know by now, that it doesn't matter to them whether I agree or not. They never allow me to make my own decisions. After I became a vampire, Stefan wanted me to be one person and Damon wanted me to be the complete opposite. I just..." she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm her frustration. "I felt like I was losing myself in the process, you know?"

Elijah nodded silently. "I offered you my assistance, Elena, and that offer still stands. I will help you." he said, after a moment.

"Thank you. I suppose I can't say it enough." she smiled.

"After all that my family has done to you...it is my pleasure."

The silence settled between them again, but for the first time in months Elena felt at peace. Which was quite a surprise when she considered all that she and Elijah had done to one another. After everything, she should at least feel wary in his presence but, she realized, there was simply something about him that could put her at ease.

"May I ask why you're in Atlanta?" she asked, eventually.

The question seemed to have caught Elijah off guard for a brief second, "Business." he replied.

"And may I ask what sort of business?" she pressed.

He stared at her for a long while, making Elena think that she had crossed a line. "I was speaking with some associates of mine. I was trying to find a way to break the link between you and Alaric." he explained, surprising her.

She sat stunned, "So by 'associates,' you mean witches?"

"Yes."

"What did they tell you?"

"They told me that only the witch that cast the spell could undo it. And I do not believe that Esther, had she still been in this realm, would have willingly undone what she created. Do you?" he asked, stating the obvious.

Elena could only manage to shake her head. "Why?" she breathed.

Elijah's brow furrowed, "Pardon?"

"Why were you looking for a way to break the link? As it turns out, your family was safer with it in place."

"Perhaps," he replied, coolly. "but you were not."

"I don't understand."

"I did not want my past mistakes to reoccur." he explained, turning his gaze toward the fire. "I failed to protect Katerina and, long before her, Tatia. Aside from that, I imagine that my mother cast the spell in such a way that had we managed to kill Alaric, it would have taken your life as well, ending the doppelgänger bloodline."

"You..." Elena began. "you were trying to save my life."

"Do not think too highly of me, Elena. I also had my selfish reasons. Had I managed to unlink you, I would have tried to kill Alaric. As long as he would have lived my family would have been in danger."

"Still...you were looking for a way to save me?"

"You seem surprised." he stated.

Elena smiled a genuine smile, "I suppose that I should be after I betrayed you the way I did."

"I have betrayed you in the past." he reminded her. "Besides, you were doing what you thought was right, in order to protect those you love. You have my highest respect for that, Elena."

Elena nodded, shoving away the warm feeling the knowledge brought to her, until she could examine it later. Then she remembered something he had said, "Who was Tatia?" she asked, confused.

Elijah glared into the flames of the hearth, remaining silent for so long that she thought he wasn't going to answer. "Tatia" he began, so quietly that Elena had to strain to hear him. "was the woman whose features you share with Katerina. She was the original Petrova and your ancestor."

Elena paused, then, "You cared for her, like you did Katherine, didn't you?" she asked, staring intently at his profile.

"I loved her..." he replied. "and so did Klaus."

"What was she like?" Elena breathed.

"She was quite a bit like you." he replied, turning to look at her, a slight smile on his lips. "Kind, considerate, a martyr. But she had a bit of a dark side, like Katerina. She was still an innocent though and my mother used that against her." Elena could tell by the faraway look in his eyes that in his mind he was somewhere else entirely.

"What do you mean?"

"Hers was the blood used to turn us into vampires. I was not told until after the spell had been cast and ritual completed."

"I'm sorry you lost her, Elijah. It must be haunting to look at me when you knew and loved her."

"To the contrary, I find it to be a comfort to know that a part of her continues to live after so many centuries."

She nodded to acknowledge his statement, unsure of how to respond. Once again the silence rose between them, with only the crackling of the fire breaking the quiet. Elena, realizing exactly how tired she was, felt her eyes drooping shut and found herself curling up on the couch, drifting off to sleep.

Elijah stared thoughtfully at her dozing form. It amazed him to no end how the different parts of Tatia's personality had been reproduced in both Katerina and Elena. Yet, they were both uniquely themselves as well.

He watched as Elena tossed and turned trying, he guessed, to get comfortable in her sleep. Rising from his seat, he walked over and hesitantly lifted her into his arms, carrying her up the stairs to his spare bedroom. "What're doing?" she mumbled, her voice heavy with sleep.

"Taking you to that spare room I promised." he whispered, as he walked through the bedroom's doorway.

Gently he placed her on the bed and tucked her in, smiling fondly as she curled onto her side beneath the blanket. There was a visible peace on her face, that wasn't there when she was awake. He decided some sleep of his own would do him some good, but first he had to brave the rain and retrieve Elena's luggage.

A few minutes later, after placing her lone suitcase in her room, he drifted down the hall to his own and prepared for bed. He lay awake for a long while, replaying the conversation he had had with Elena through his mind. He had never told anyone about Tatia, but when Elena had asked about her he found that he couldn't deny her curiosity.

However, it wasn't that talk that kept him from his usual restful slumber. It was the call he had made to Rebekah before he had found Elena on his doorstep. The voice he had heard haunted him, made him think that perhaps, just perhaps, his little brother had managed to survive after all. Such were the thoughts swirling through his mind as he finally drifted into a restless sleep.

**VVV**

When Elena awoke later that morning she panicked, not recognizing her surroundings. Then the events of the night flooded back to her and she realized where she was and who she was staying with. 'But how did I get in here?' she thought, looking around the bedroom. She was sitting on a large, four poster bed that was made from a deep mahogany, matching the dark wood of the walls perfectly. An old fashioned wardrobe sat in the corner and a settee sat by the large window to her left.

Stretching the stiffness from her arms and torso, she noticed her suitcase at on the floor by the bedside. Climbing out of bed, she sorted out an outfit for the day and she stepped into the hall, making her way down the stairs to where she remembered a bathroom was located.

After showering and dressing, Elena stepped into the parlor. Hearing a sound in back of the house, she followed it to what turned out to be the kitchen. Choking back a laugh, she stepped through the door. Elijah was stood in front of the counter, glaring down at his coffee. His normally styled hair was in total disarray and a robe was tied haphazardly around his waist over a pair of pajama bottoms, revealing a bit of his toned chest.

He seemed not to notice Elena, almost as if he had forgotten she was there to begin with. "You know..."she began, for once catching him off guard and causing him to slightly jump. "I've never seen you in such a rough state...except perhaps the time I pulled the dagger from your chest at the boarding house."

Elijah turned to regard her, "Well, aside from what you may think, this _is_ how I usually look when I rise in the morning." he said, tightening his robe to where it completely covered his body. Elena surprised herself by feeling a pang of regret at losing the sight.

"Don't we all." Elena offered, searching for a coffee cup, which Elijah provided a second later and poured her a cup full. "Is something wrong?" she asked, taking a sip. "You seemed lost in your thoughts when I walked in."

"I was thinking about the phone call I made to Rebekah last night, before you arrived." he explained.

"You didn't say anything to her because of me, did you?"

"Actually you were the reason I made the call, but it wasn't Rebekah that I was thinking about. Shortly before she hung up with me, someone spoke in the background." he paused. "I know this may sound rather far fetched, but...I could have sworn that it was Klaus' voice."

"How could it have been? Rebekah witnessed his death, didn't she?" she asked, gently.

"Supposedly."

"You're not suggesting that she lied to you about him?"

"I do not know." he admitted, running a hand through his hair.

"Damon was there as well, Elijah, he saw it happen." she reminded him. "Could it have been Kol?"

"Perhaps...but it sounded so much like Niklaus."

Elena was unsure of how to respond, she knew that he was hurting. Regardless of what may have happened between he and Klaus in the past, they were still brothers and she knew that Elijah held family above all else. She found it easy to sympathize with him because of that. Granted it was no secret that she didn't exactly mind that Klaus was dead, she was relieved for lack of a better term, but she knew what it was like to lose people. So, with that in mind, she did the one thing that he never expected. She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him.

Elijah stiffened at the contact. The last time Elena had been this close to him he had ended up with a dagger through his heart. But as her arms tightened around him, he found that he couldn't resist awkwardly returning the embrace. He could tell that this was merely an innocent gesture of comfort rather than one with intended malice. His concerns melted away as her dark head settled on his chest.

She pulled back after a moment, looking up at him sheepishly, "I'm sorry. I guess I crossed a line there, didn't I?"

"No," he replied, smirking. "though I am sincerely happy that I did not end up daggered this time around."

She laughed, "I never properly apologized for that, did I?"

"Not that I recall."

"Well, in that case...I'm sorry for pretending to negotiate a deal with you, tricking you by stabbing myself in the stomach, and then stabbing you in the heart with the white oak dagger. How's that?"

"I could not have said it more eloquently, myself."

Elena smiled and opened the refrigerator.

"What are you doing?" Elijah asked.

"Making breakfast. I don't know about you, Mr. Bad Ass Original, but I'm hungry." she replied, pulling out a carton of eggs and some bacon for an omelet.

"You seem to be in a better mood this morning." he stated, seating himself at the kitchen table, watching her.

"A good nights sleep can do wonders." she replied. "What about you, didn't you sleep at all?"

"I must admit I have definitely slept more soundly in the past."

"I hope my presence didn't bother you."

"No, not at all. Merely troubling thoughts, part of which I revealed to you earlier."

"Well, to assuage your troubled mind, would you like an omelet?"

Elijah smirked at her, "If you don't mind preparing it?"

"Not at all." she said and set about fixing them breakfast. All the while wondering if perhaps he might have been right in his assumption. Could Klaus have managed to survive being staked?

**VVV**

**Well, that was a whole chapter of nothing but Elena and Elijah for you, my dear readers. I do hope you liked it! Hopefully they seemed in character, especially at the end there. I also hope you enjoyed the image of Elijah in a loosely tied robe, pj's bottoms, and ruffled hair...I know I enjoyed writing it. **

**The song for this chapter is "There For You" by Flyleaf. Now to the thank yous...**

**THANK YOU-** **destinoscelgo, xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx, hazelheart93, lilylulurose, West of the Boulevard, Rianeliza, siberia21, Katerina998877, biorulz, SoUtHeRnBeLLe706, the Guest reviewer, Gracounette, Alexis, kiwi1231, Midnight Falls18, and psychotropics, for reviewing and adding this story to your alerts and favorites! Keep the support coming! More to come soon...=)**


	6. Chapter 6 Wicked World

**VVV**

**Chapter 6- Wicked World **

"I just don't know what to think! Why would Bonnie do something like that and not tell any of us?" Caroline wondered, as she lay in Tyler's arms in the old Lockwood cellar.

"She did what she had to do to keep us alive. We can't fault her for it, even it we don't agree with her methods." shrugged Tyler.

"True." she sighed. "I just wish that she would have told us."

"Well, at least she gave us a reason for a happy reunion." he smirked.

"Again, true." she smiled, kissing him passionately. Then somewhere across the room, her cell phone began ringing. "Ugh, really?" she grumbled.

"Just let it ring." Tyler pleaded.

"I can't. It might be important." she said, rising and looking for her discarded pants, pulling her cell from their pocket. "Hello? This better be good!"

"Hey, Barbie!" Damon's sardonic voice sounded on the other end. "Did we disturb whatever it is you're doing?"

"What is it now, Damon?" she sighed.

"We're on our way home." Stefan cut in.

"Is Elena with you?"

"No." Damon replied, shortly.

"I take it you didn't find her then?"

"We found where she was staying and barely missed her...look its a long story but we'll explain when we get there." Stefan answered.

Caroline glanced at Tyler, "Well, there's something that the two of you need to know."

"And what would that be?" Damon demanded.

"I know how we all survived Klaus being staked." she replied.

"Really? How?" Stefan asked.

"I'll explain when you get here. We'll meet you at the boarding house." she said, mirroring their words, not wanting to go into detail until she could speak with them face to face.

"Alright, we're in the outskirts of town now. So we'll see you there." Stefan said, before hanging up.

"What was that all about?" Tyler asked.

"Well, as I've told you, Elena was having a tough time after her transformation. So she left town a couple of nights ago." she began. "Stefan and Damon, being the asses they are, decided to go find her and drag her back to Mystic Falls."

"Did they find her?"

"From what they said, no. Thankfully."

"'Thankfully?' You think it's okay for her to be out there alone?"

"Yes. It wasn't her control she was having trouble with, it was everything else. Her emotions were all messed up. Personally, I think that she needed time away from the Salvatores to begin with."

Tyler nodded silently, "So we're meeting them at the boarding house?"

"Yes, as much as I hate to cut our reunion short, I'm afraid we have to." she replied, as they were redressing.

"There's always tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day." he smirked, as Caroline swatted his arm, smiling.

Her smile faded however, "I suppose I should call Bonnie." she said, staring down at her phone.

"Hey, let's try not to be angry with her." Tyler said, taking her in his arms, smoothing down her hair. "Like I said, she did what she had to do to save us. It's just a pity that she had to let that bastard live in order for us to survive."

Caroline nodded, dialing the familiar number and listening as it rang.

**VVV**

_Bonnie hadn't meant to fall asleep, but after the exhausting night she had passed, she found her eyes drooping shut on their own accord. Curling onto her side on her bed, she drifted. She floated into the oblivion of sleep and soon realized that she was dreaming. 'Why else would I be dressed in an old fashioned dress?' she thought, glancing down at her old fashioned garb._

_She was walking through a village in the forest. The houses were primitive at most, with mud walls and thatched roofs and the people looked very much like the vikings she had read about in Alaric's history class._

_It was an overcast day, the sun completely covered by oppressive clouds, making everything seem even more ominous than usual. The people were quietly murmuring to each other, as they seemed to be cleaning up from some kind of attack. There were patches of blood stained hay strewn about along with several severely slaughtered farm animals, laying in the despairing posture of their falls._

_A desperate voice suddenly sliced through the air, "Mother!" it was wailing._

_Bonnie turned in time to see a young man carrying the stiffened body of a boy into view. He gently lay him on the ground as who she presumed to be his family gathered around. They seemed familiar to her. She wracked her muddled brain trying to figure out why, then it hit her. She was looking at the human versions of some of the original family. She could now identify Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, and Esther._

_But as she watched the scene another woman joined them. She stood tall, with caramel skin and dark eyes that seemed to sparkle with untold wisdom._

_"Ayanna, what can we do?" Esther demanded of the woman._

_"There is nothing you can do." she responded. "Your boy is gone, Esther."_

_Ayanna. Bonnie realized now that she was looking at her long dead ancestor. The woman turned then and cast her gaze upon Bonnie._

_"Hello, Bonnie."_ she said, the voice resounded through her bedroom, as she startled awake. Her eyes frantically searching the room for intruders, but finding none. As she was wiping the sweat from her brow, her cell began to ring.

Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, she answered, "Hello?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Bonnie?"

"Caroline?" she asked, confused. After their confrontation about Tyler and Klaus, she was certain that it would be a while before she heard anything from her.

"Yeah." Caroline began, faltering for a second. "Look, Stefan and Damon are almost back and we are going to meet them at the boarding house to explain about Klaus and see what they have to say about Elena. Can you meet us there?"

"Um...sure. I'll be there." Bonnie replied, quietly.

"Good. I'll see you then." Caroline said, quickly, then ended the call.

Bonnie sat still a moment longer, mulling over the dream. 'Why would I be dreaming of Ayanna?' she thought, as she threw her legs over the side of her bed and rose, straightening her clothing. She shook her head, placing it all on the back burned for now. Grabbing her phone, she decided to call Jeremy and Matt, knowing that they would want to hear about Elena.

**VVV**

Stefan and Damon arrived at the boarding house to find Bonnie, Jeremy, and Matt waiting for them.

"Caroline called me." Bonnie explained, as they all walked over the threshold.

"And Bonnie called us." Matt explained, as Damon glared at him. He still hadn't gotten over the fact that Matt had survived the accident that had killed Elena and began her transformation.

"Yeah, Bonnie thought that _we _might want to hear about Elena." Jeremy said, cutting in.

"Caroline said that she knew how we had survived Klaus' death." Stefan said, stepping between his brother and their guests.

"Yeah, she did." said Tyler, as he and Caroline stepped into the room.

Silence suddenly engulfed them. Matt and Jeremy were speechless also not knowing that Tyler was alive, whereas Stefan and Damon looked equally stunned, their jaws slack in amazement.

"How the Hell are you alive?" Damon demanded, after a second.

"I could ask you the same thing, dick." Tyler replied, crossing his arms.

"Bonnie?" Caroline said. "Would you mind explaining?"

Bonnie gulped, trying to wet her suddenly dry mouth. Caroline had been upset, for lack of a better term, so she couldn't imagine how the brothers would take the news. "Klaus is still alive." she began, placing her neck into the figurative noose. "I pulled his spirit from his body and placed it in Tyler, before Alaric staked him."

All was quiet for a beat and then, "You what?!" Damon demanded, taking a menacing step toward her, as she glared at him.

"Bonnie, how could you do that after everything he's done?" Stefan asked at the same time.

"Wow, wow, wow!" Caroline said, throwing her hands up in a calming gesture. "I'm not happy about what she done either...especially since she neglected to tell me and probably could have found another way to do it. But as Tyler pointed out to me earlier, she did what she had to do to save us! So don't give her such grief about it, when she saved all of our asses!" Bonnie gave her a small thankful smile.

The brothers fell silent, glancing at one another, "Caroline's right." Stefan breathed after a minute. "I'm sorry for getting angry, Bonnie. Thank you, for your help."

"I didn't do it for either of you." she reminded them. "I did it to save Caroline, Tyler, and my mother."

"Well, now that we've had our little blissful moment of forgiveness..." Damon cut in, derisively. "Let's get back to the subject at hand. Klaus is alive?"

"Yes...and back in his own body. He and Rebekah are still in town." Bonnie explained.

Stefan looked warily toward Damon, "Maybe it _was_ a bad idea to leave Elena."

Damon gave him his usual 'I-told-you-so' look, while Bonnie spoke, "No. Right now, anywhere away from here is the safest place for her. We're not sure if Klaus knows of her transformation or not, so if he finds out, he could still try to find a way to use her...or, if he can't, he could kill her."

"He knew that Alaric was dead, so I'd say that he knows how that happened." Tyler reminded them.

"Speaking of Elena..." Jeremy said, cutting their conversation short. "did you find her?"

"We found where she had been staying but she ran before we could see her." Stefan replied.

"But she left us a little note." Damon said, pulling the creased piece of paper from his pocket, handing it over to the group.

Jeremy took it and read it out loud, "'_I just can't face everyone knowing that I'm the reason their lives are so screwed up._'" Jeremy quoted. "How could she think something like that? None of us blame her for what's happened."

"You know how she is Jere." Matt shrugged.

"Ever the martyr." Caroline shook her head, sighing.

"Are you sure its a good idea to leave her on her own, Bonnie? I mean we haven't any idea where Kol or Elijah are, what if one of them find her?"

"Seriously, what are the chances that she'll run into one of them?" Caroline demanded, tired of all of their reasoning.

"Well...slim to none, I suppose." Stefan replied, after a beat. "But you know her luck with them, especially Elijah."

"She will be fine, Stefan." Bonnie argued.

"Besides, even if she did meet up with Elijah, I don't think that he would hurt her." Caroline said.

"Oh, no, not at all." Damon said, sarcastically. "Since he wouldn't do a thing like trapping her in the caves with his psycho sister or anything."

"That same psycho sister that you slept with?" Caroline countered.

Damon opened his mouth to retort, but none came, "Touché." he finally replied.

"Maybe we should all go, before this gets any more heated." Tyler said, cutting in, earning him a glare from Damon.

"Yeah, I guess we better go back into hiding." Caroline said, taking Tyler's hand.

"Hiding?" Stefan asked.

"Alaric told the counsel about Tyler and I, before everything happened. We've been laying low since."

"And you two had best do the same." Bonnie told them.

"Will do, little witch." Damon replied, with a mock salute.

Bonnie just rolled her eyes, "Well, I'm going. Jeremy, Matt, you coming?"

"Yeah." Matt said, as he and Jeremy followed her.

"We'll see you later, Stefan...Damon." Caroline nodded to both of them, as she and Tyler turned to leave.

"So...what do you have in mind to do now, Stefan?" Damon asked, once everyone was out of earshot.

Stefan sighed, "I plan to have a much needed drink." he said, pouring himself a glass of bourbon.

"Likewise, little brother." Damon replied, joining him.

**VVV**

The Georgia skies had finally cleared after the pouring rain that lasted most of the night, allowing the sun to shine down brightly. The grass was still damp, but Elena couldn't resist the urge to sunbathe. Elijah had told her after their breakfast that he had a few telephone calls to make, so he had taken his leave for the time being, telling her to 'make herself comfortable.'

She now lay on her back in the grass, her hair loose and laying around her head like a dark halo. Closing her eyes, she basked in the sunlight, warming her now naturally cool skin. She had missed the days like this. Days where she had nothing on her mind but peace and relaxation. The last time she had been even remotely peaceful had been before her parents had died...before vampires had entered her life.

A shadow suddenly fell over her face, but she didn't open her eyes. "Did you make all of the calls you needed to make?" she asked, smiling.

All remained silent, for moment longer before Elena felt a horrible pain in her head. "Hello, Katherine." said a cold voice, almost completely ground out by Elena's screams.

It was like her skull was being mercilessly split in two. She clutched her head begging and praying to be released from whatever this was. "Please!" she gasped. "Please, stop!"

"Solange!" a welcome commanding voice shouted, cutting through her agony. "Release her!"

As abruptly as it had came, the pain was gone, leaving a whimpering Elena in its wake. She still clutched her head, feeling a small trickle roll down her cheek. Wiping it away, she noticed it was blood.

"Damn it, Solange!" Elijah said, kneeling in front of her, grasping her face between his palms, making her look at him. "I called you over here to help me, not to torture my guest!"

"That little bitch doesn't deserve to continue existing!" Solange spat at him.

"This is _not _Katerina!" Elijah replied, through gritted teeth, standing to wrap his hand around the witches throat. "This woman is Katerina's doppelgänger, Elena!" he said, in a deadly quiet tone.

"Elena? But she is a vampire!" the witch gasped out, pointing an accusing finger toward her.

"Yes, but I'm newly turned." Elena explained, in a weak voice, seeming to tear Elijah's attention away from Solange.

"Elena, are you alright?" he asked, kneeling down again.

"I will be." she replied, swallowing dryly. "But I think I could use some blood. Her pulse..."she pointed at the witch. "is looking awfully tempting and I don't want to hurt her." Solange's eyes widened in surprise at that statement.

"Come, allow me to help you inside." Elijah said, offering Elena his hand and pulling her to her feet. They slowly making their way toward the back door, she leaning heavily on him, as the witch followed behind silently. Once inside, Elijah led Elena to the parlor where he sat her down and retrieved a glass of blood for her. "There." he said, handing it to her.

"Thanks." she whispered.

Solange stood with her arms crossed, staring down at Elena, "Look...I'm sorry for that." she said, unconvincingly.

"It's fine...happens all the time." Elena replied, quietly.

Solange nodded, "So about why you called me here." she said, turning to Elijah.

"I need you to do a spell to locate my brother." he said, sitting down.

"Which one?" the witch asked.

Elijah hesitated for a minute, "Niklaus." he finally replied.

"Klaus? I thought he was dead." Solange said.

"I thought that as well...until last night." Elijah said, then began explaining his call to Rebekah. "I need to know, Solange." he finished.

"Very well. Do you have a personal item that belonged to Klaus?"

Elijah nodded, handing her a what looked like a paint brush.

Solange took it, "I don't suppose you have any candles laying around?" she asked, dryly.

"I sat some out in the library, just through there." Elijah replied, pointing to a door down the back hall.

"I'll see what I can do." the witch said, walking out of the room.

Once she was gone, he turned to Elena, "Are you alright?"

Elena sat slumped over, her head in her hand, sipping the blood he had given her. "It's never going to stop, is it? I'm always going to be just another Petrova doppelgänger, destined to live in Katherine and Tatia's shadow for the rest of eternity." she cried, wearily. "I would have been better off if I had truly died in that damn accident."

"Elena." Elijah called her name. "You must not say things like that, Elena." he said, moving over to sit beside her, taking her hand in his own.

"I'm sorry." she said, dabbing at her cheeks, sniffling. "Here I am a blubbering mess again. You must be getting tired of seeing be cry."

"Contrariwise, regardless of whether you're crying or not, I do not believe I could get tired of seeing you." he stated truthfully.

Elena's jaw fell open in surprise at his blatant honesty, "Really?" she asked.

"Truly." he replied, quietly, staring into her eyes.

Neither really noticed that the distance was shrinking between them, until Solange chose that moment to walk back into the room.

Elijah pulled back, schooling his features into a calm mask. "Well?" he asked the witch.

"Klaus..." she replied. "is in Mystic Falls."

**VVV**

**Whew! So thats chapter 6! A lot going on in this one, wasn't there? I hope that you enjoyed it, regardless, my dear readers! **

**What do you think about Bonnie's dream? How do you think Elena will take the news of Klaus being in Mystic Falls? Oh, the burning questions! lol** **Hopefully, you all won't have to wait very long to find out. The title for this chapter comes from the song, "Wicked World" by Cold. Now onto the thanks yous...**

**THANK YOU- ****Gorramit Girl, lilylulurose, SoUtHeRnBeLLe706, Vampiresarethebest17, siberia21, hazelheart93, Fairydoll, Skadya, Gracounette, xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx, Chung60988, , Falcon100, Undercover Reader, MariFM, MnM1803, Ms.M. , Desiraes0220, Cygni, kate1243, dkwr07, and sunnystars, for all of the reviews, favorites and follows! Keep all the feedback coming! More to come soon!**


	7. Chapter 7 Let's Get Lost

**VVV **

**Chapter 7- Let's Get Lost **

Elena, for her part, sat looking like a deer caught in headlights, "What?" she breathed. "How can that be?"

"Solange?" Elijah questioned, his brow furrowed in thought.

"I'm not entirely certain how it could be possible, but he is there. Be it in spirit or in body." she answered.

"What is the meaning of that? 'In spirit or in body?'" Elijah demanded.

"A location spell is a delicate thing." the witch explained. "It can reveal where a living person is but it can also reveal the location of a spirit."

"I-I have to call...no, I have to get home." Elena panicked, as she stood, not hearing the explanation. Breathing erratically, she took a step away from the sofa, only to fall into a shaking, hysterical heap at Elijah's knee.

"Elena?" Elijah called gently, using his superior strength to pull her back up beside him. Uncertain as to how to properly comfort her, he hesitatingly wrapped his arms around her, resting her head on his broad chest, "Elena, _if _my brother is truly there..." he began, earning him an annoyed eye roll from the witch across the room. "and he is alive, who do you believe would be the most at risk from him?"

"I'm a vampire now." Elena responded, through her panic, pulling back enough to look up at him. "He couldn't use me anymore, like he couldn't use Katherine."

"You could still be in danger from him." he argued.

"So...what are you saying? That I should just stay here and let my friends be the sitting ducks?" she demanded, anger coating her tone as she pulled away from him.

"Elena, all I am asking is that you look at this rationally. I know Niklaus. _If _he is alive and you go back and he finds that he cannot use you or your blood any longer, he will kill you...if not in anger then for spite. Call your friends, warn them, but please do not go back Mystic Falls until we figure out if he is truly alive and, if so, what he is up to."

Elena looked into his eyes searchingly for a long moment, then nodded. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket, "Excuse me." she said, raising and stepping out of the parlor, heading for the kitchen.

**VVV**

Solange and Elijah watched her go, then the witch turned her steely gaze to him,"She certainly didn't take that news well." she said, scathingly.

"My brother has put her through Hell on earth, it is only natural for her to act that way."

She stared at him, "You're getting caught up with another Petrova, aren't you?" she scoffed.

"Solange..." he began, only to be interrupted.

"After what you told me about what happened with Katherine, I'm quite surprised."

"Elena is a friend, nothing more." he argued.

"Oh, of course, just a 'friend.'" she responded, sarcastically. "I can tell by the way you look at her, Elijah, you care for her."

He remained silent, not acknowledging or denying anything.

"These Petrova women can certainly ensnare you with their deceitful webs."

"Elena is not deceitful, you shouldn't speak of her so when you know nothing about her."

"She is Katherine's doppelgänger, that is already a mark against her in my book."

"She is nothing like Katherine."

"Perhaps on the surface, but if one where to dig deep enough I'm sure she would be no different than her predecessor."

"Thank you, Solange." Elijah snapped, irritated. "I trust you can find your own way out."

"Fine." she threw her hands up in surrender. "I'll go, but mark my words, Petrova's can only bring you trouble." she said, then left.

Elijah slumped backwards in his seat, closing his eyes. He only hoped that his defense of Elena proved to be truthful. He cared for her, he had admitted that to himself a while before. The fact that he had been about to kiss her before Solange had reappeared was proof enough of that. But he also knew that the Salvatore's still held a place in her heart, a place that he couldn't possibly compete with. Regardless, he found himself hoping, however vainly, that she had not wormed her way into his heart for nothing. And even if it was all for naught, he found himself vowing that he would protect her, especially from his brother, at all cost.

**VVV**

Elena leaned against the counter, frantically dialing Caroline's number and listening as the line rang for the umpteenth time. There was no answer. Worriedly, she dialed Bonnie's number.

"Hello?" Bonnie answered, after several rings.

"Bonnie! Oh, thank goodness!" Elena breathed.

"Elena?" she asked, sounding surprised, then, "What's wrong?" she demanded.

"Klaus...he's somehow still in Mystic Falls." she replied.

"How...did you find out?"

"You already knew?" Elena said, accusingly.

She heard Bonnie breathe a frustrated sigh on the other end, "Yes." she admitted. "Elena, what I'm about to tell you may give you grounds to hate me for the rest of eternity but I'm telling you anyway." she began, then explained in detail all that had happened.

Elena felt somewhat betrayed, yet thankful, all at once, "You...helped him?"

"Yes, I did it to save everyone." Bonnie decided to include the Salvatore's for Elena's sake.

"Wait, so he is truly alive?" Elena asked. 'And not some ghost running around?' she added mentally.

"Yes...unfortunately. But it's a good thing in a sense because, as you know, if he bites the dust you all do." Bonnie sighed again.

"I'm...thankful that you did what you did. But it's hard to believe that you willingly helped him." Elena shook her head, even though Bonnie couldn't see her.

"My mom is from his bloodline, I couldn't let her die." she reminded her. "And I couldn't stand back and watch as Caroline and so many of our friends died because of him." Bonnie paused.

"Speaking of Caroline. Have you heard from her? I tried calling her but there was no answer."

"She is probably with Tyler." Bonnie suggested. "But I'll try calling her after we're through talking."

"Thanks, I'm just so worried about everyone."

"We're all fine for now, Lena." she replied. "But back to my initial question...how did _you _find out about Klaus?"

"Um..." Elena wasn't sure how to begin. "I'm staying with a...friend who knows a witch. She did a locater spell and figured it out."

"And who is this 'friend?'"

Elena paused, "I...I can't say, Bon." For some reason she felt that anything having to do with Elijah should be kept a secret. She was afraid that if she told anyone back home, that Stefan and Damon would find out and they would try finding her again. Plus, her new...friendship with Elijah felt too...private to share. "But I'm safe, so there's no need for you to worry."

Bonnie was silent for a moment, "Alright, I trust you, Lena. Just be careful."

Elena hesitated for a second, "Bonnie, do you think that I should come back?" she asked, in a small voice. "I don't want to leave all of you there to deal with Klaus by yourselves."

"I think, and Caroline agrees with me, that anywhere away from Mystic Falls is the safest place for you at the moment. Klaus hasn't made any move against any of us, so we are all fine for now. Just keep yourself safe."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Besides we've all dealt with him before and come out alive. I'm sure we can all do it again if we have to."

"Alright." Elena said, slowly. "But Bonnie, promise me that if anything happens, you will call me."

"I promise."

"Thanks," she replied. "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, Lena."

Elena pressed the end button and sighed, walking back into the parlor where Elijah sat waiting for her.

"Where is Solange?" she asked, glancing around the room for the slightly frightening witch.

"She showed herself out." he responded.

Elena nodded, falling unceremoniously down beside him on the sofa, running a hand over her face.

"What information did you gather from your friends?"

"Klaus is really alive." she began, then commenced explaining everything that she had discovered. "So Bonnie and Caroline believe that it's best if I stay away for a while." she finished.

"Well it seems that they agree with me." he replied. He was stunned after having his suspicions confirmed.

Elena sighed, interrupting his train of thought, "I don't how to feel." she said.

"What ever do you mean?"

"I mean that I don't know whether to feel betrayed, relieved, frustrated, thankful, or...scared." she explained. "If Bonnie hadn't done that spell, then everyone I know and love would be dead and yet I can't help but think what my life would have been like had he died."

"I can easily imagine your inner turmoil, I am in a similar state myself." He knew that he had been right in his assumption, but he just couldn't believe that his siblings would keep such news from him. He shook his head to clear it and turned back to the woman beside him, who was currently glaring down at the floor.

"I just...I feel like I should be doing something, anything." she threw her hands up in frustration. "I hate just letting everyone sit there, waiting for him to make the first move."

"I fear it is all we can do for now. I know my brother well, but not well enough to predict what he's going to do next."

Despite everything, Elena smirked, "I suppose that's true, otherwise you wouldn't have ended up daggered after the sacrifice."

Elijah placed a hand on his chest, over his heart, remembering, "Niklaus can be very deceiving and I was desperate to find my family."

"I know." Elena said, smile fading at his somber mood. She reached out and placed her hand over his own that was resting on the sofa between them. He, in turn, intertwined his fingers with hers. She glanced down at their hands, "Did I ever tell you how glad I was to see you when Damon undaggered you?"

He managed a smile, "I imagine you would have been happy to see anyone, with my sister trying to rip out your throat."

"True." Elena agreed. "But I'm happy it was you."

"I do not believe either of you ever told me what caused her to be so angry toward you." he urged, hoping that by changing the subject, he could alleviate some of her anxiety about Klaus.

Elena looked down bashfully, "I may have stabbed her in the back with a dagger."

At that answer, Elijah let out an unrestrained laugh, the first Elena had ever heard out of him, "You are a sneaky one with those daggers." he responded. "I honestly feel for Rebekah's pride. I know my own was truly wounded after you stabbed me."

Elena smirked, "Well, I did apologize for that. I don't think I ever got the chance to apologize to Rebekah."

"I do not imagine that she would ever give you a chance, my sister can be very stubborn in that sense. I would wager that she thought you would never do something like that to begin with."

Elena nodded in agreement, smiling. "You know, you are surprisingly good at distracting me from my troubling thoughts." she said, after a short silence.

"I am happy to be of service." he replied.

She glanced at him again and her mind suddenly raced back to earlier, before Solange had walked back into the room with the news of Klaus. She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if that moment had been prolonged. She bit her lip and turned fully to him, "Elijah,...about earlier..." she began, unsure of just how to voice the question she wanted so badly to ask.

"'Earlier?'" he asked.

"Before Solange came back from doing the spell...what...what happened?"

Elijah swallowed dryly, abruptly finding the design of the throw rug fascinating, "I do not know what you mean." he responded, knowing exactly what she was talking about but was simply afraid to acknowledge it. In fact, he had been hoping to avoid the conversation altogether.

Elena looked away, blushing, and decided not to question him further. "Forget it." she mumbled, sounding rather embarrassed. "I'll just...um...go up to my room." She rose and headed for the door.

Elijah silently cursed himself, "Elena," he called. "wait!" She stopped in the doorway, but kept her back to him. He stood and sped over to stand in front of her, placing his hands on her slight shoulders, "I am sorry, Elena." he said, his brow furrowed in frustration, but he didn't elaborate further. They instead gazed at one another for a long while, then, "You mentioned feeling frightened." he eventually said, changing the subject again.

"Yes." she whispered.

"You have no reason to be. I promise you, Elena, that I will do everything in my power to protect you." he spoke aloud what had been his silent vow.

Hearing the conviction and promise in his voice, it was several moments before she could speak, "I appreciate that, Elijah, more than you know. But it's not me that I'm afraid for..." she trailed.

"It is your family and friends." he finished.

She nodded, "I couldn't live with myself if something else happened to them. I've already caused too much chaos in their lives."

His hands slid down her arms, until he tentatively gripped her hands. Then, surprisingly to her, his lips touched her forehead in a chaste kiss. "You are always going to be martyr, aren't you?"

Elena smiled shakily, suddenly nervous after feeling his lips on her skin, "Do you think I should change?"she whispered.

"Certainly not." he shook his head. "You would not be you, if you did."

"I'm glad you think so."

"I would never think otherwise." he smirked.

Elena smiled again, "I think I could use a good drink." she breathed.

"Yes, I think that I could as well." he said, stepping back into the parlor and walking over to a cabinet in the far corner, opening it up. "My apologies," he said, after a moment. "but I fear the strongest beverage that I have available is wine."

Elena made a dramatic gesture, "And here I thought that you were always one step ahead of everyone." she said, earning a her a smile.

"Usually I am, however, I rarely indulge in alcohol."

"Well, how about we go out?" Elena asked. She really needed a night out, just a little reprieve from the constant fear and worry.

"Out?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Out...as in a bar." she clarified.

"Are you certain that's a good idea?" he asked.

"Oh, come on...live a little." she prompted.

"Alright." he agreed, pacing toward the front hall, ready to grab his coat.

"Elijah...no offense, but do you ever wear anything aside from a suit?" she smirked, following along behind him. He stopped and turned around giving her a smile.

**VVV**

About an hour later, Elena found herself walking into a bar with Elijah in tow. Her commentary about his clothing had convinced him to change. He now, much to Elena's surprise, was wearing a pair of dark wash jeans, a white t-shirt and an expensive looking, black jacket.

"You are staring." he commented, as they slid into a back booth.

"Sorry, I've just never seen you look so...so..."

"Casual." he supplied.

"Casual." she agreed. "I'm surprised that you even own a pair of jeans."

"I keep them in back of my closet for rare occasions such as this." he explained.

"Right." she nodded.

"You seem to be in a better mood." he said, gesturing to one of the servers.

Elena sighed, "I've decided to promise myself that for this one evening, I'm going to forget about Klaus and all of my troubles back in Mystic Falls and just try to enjoy myself for once."

"That certainly sounds like a good plan." he agreed, turning toward the waiter as he arrived.

"What can I get you?" he asked.

Elijah turned to Elena, "Ladies first, Elena."

"I'll have some bourbon, please." she said.

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to see..."

Elijah cleared his throat, interrupting him mid sentence, and causing him to turn toward him, "You do not need an identification for her, she is old enough to drink." he compelled.

The man repeated the sentence, then, "Bourbon for you. What about you, sir?"

"The same, please."

"Thank you. That was much more subtle than what I can manage to do." Elena said, after he had walked away.

"The skill comes with practice, you will acquire subtlety with time."

"I hope so." she huffed, quietly. "I'm still not used to this whole being dead thing. I mean my emotions are constantly changing, one moment I feel like crying, then I feel like laughing hysterically, and then I feel angry. Is that normal?" she asked, she had been meaning to have this conversation with him for a while.

Elijah nodded, as their drinks arrived. "Yes." he said, after the human waiter left. "For a vampire, control not only means with holding ones blood lust but also dealing with the constant flow of emotion as well. Many cannot handle the struggle and, as they say, switch it off."

"Have you...ever been like that?" she asked, shyly, warily.

Elijah sighed, "During the first few years of my new life, I was just as confused and wild as any newly turned vampire. I did many things during that time that I still regret to this day. You should be glad that you had friends to help you through your transition, Elena...my siblings and I had no one."

She nodded, "So when did you become what you are now...moral, honorable?" she asked, then added, "If my questions are bothering you, please just say so. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"It is certainly no bother." he replied. "However, I thought that you were going to enjoy the evening and not trouble yourself with anything."

Elena shrugged, "I'm not going to trouble myself with anything having to do with Klaus or Mystic Falls. But I could definitely use your advice about some things." she explained, taking a sip of her liquor. "Plus, I'd just like to get to know you better, Elijah. You're such a mystery sometimes."

At her answer, he raised a brow and his eyes became bemused, "Well, to answer your question...I always tried to be moral and honorable, especially as a human. I think those qualities were amplified after my transformation and, after centuries spent mastering my control and self restraint, I have morphed into what I am now. " he trailed.

"I've never once seen you 'vamp out'...not even when I was bleeding right in front of you." she said. "I shudder to think how long it will take me to be able to be like that."

"With the proper help at your disposal, I would imagine that it would not take you very long to gain control."

"I wish it were that simple. I can't even be around a bleeding human, let alone drink from one. And I'm so terrified of killing someone."

"So how have you been surviving?" Elijah asked, taking a drink of his bourbon and feeling it burn its way down his throat.

"Blood bags." she answered, staring down at the table between them. "I tried Stefan's bunny diet but I just couldn't keep it down."

"So you haven't practiced the restraint needed to be able to drink from a human and let them live?"

"No." she shook her head for emphasis. "I just can't bring myself to do it."

Elijah sat silently for a moment, thinking about the potential options. He had an idea, one that could possibly help her, but was uncertain as to whether to it was really a good idea at all. 'Could I allow her to do this?' he asked himself. 'After everything you have done to her in the past, you can allow her this one reprieve.' he contemplated his decision. Ultimately he ended up voicing it aloud, against all of his inner protestations. "Have you ever tried drinking from another vampire?" he asked.

Elena's brow scrunched, "No, I haven't. I didn't even know that that was an option."

He downed the rest of his drink, then rose from his seat, "Come." he said.

"But...where are we going?" she asked.

"Home." he replied.

"But I...alright." she replied, not really wanting the outing to end so quickly.

A short time later, they arrived back at Elijah's house after having only spent a scant hour out, much to Elena's disappointment.

"So why did we cut the evening short?" she asked. 'Was it something I said?' she wondered, mentally.

"Well, I couldn't very well allow you to drink from me in public, could I?" he responded.

"What?!" she cried, her eyes wide with surprise.

"You need to learn restraint and I promised to help you. This may be the only way for you to overcome your inhibitions."

"Um...I...O-okay..." she trailed, unsure of really what to say. She stepped closer to him, only to have him grasp her shoulders.

"Elena, allow me to explain something first and then you can make your decision upon whether to take me up on my offer or not." he said, to which she nodded. He paused, gathering his thoughts, "Sharing blood is a very...personal, a very meaningful experience between vampires, Elena. It can be exceedingly euphoric." he explained, as Elena quirked a brow.

"'Euphoric?'" she repeated.

Elijah nodded, "Know that I have not made this decision lightly and that only a select few have ever willingly tasted my blood. The question is- do you still wish to try?"

Elena bit her lip, "Will this help me?" she asked, in a small voice.

"Yes...and, unlike a human, I'll be able to stop you if you begin taking too much."

Elena swallowed and mutely nodded her agreement.

Elijah released her shoulders and turned to perch upon the sofa. "Come here." he commanded, to which Elena acquiesced, standing awkwardly in front of him. "Are you certain that you wish to do this, Elena?" he asked, one last time.

"Yes." she whispered.

He reached out and pulled her toward him, until she stood between his legs. He held her waist firmly in his grip, "You're trembling." he noted, quietly.

"Nervous." she said, in a hoarse voice.

"Don't be." he said. "I will guide you."

Elena could feel her heart beat increase at the close proximity, being this close to Elijah was definitely new.

"Focus on my pulse. Do you see the beat of it in my neck?" he asked, baring his throat to her.

Elena nodded, "Yes."

"Then allow your instincts to take over...do not think about anything aside from your prey."

Elena watched, thoroughly fascinated, as his pulse thrummed beneath his skin. Lowering her nose to his neck, she sniffed in a manner much like he had done to her when they had first met. The scent of him was utterly divine and she felt her face change, her vampire self surfacing, her fangs extended.

Not wanting to cause him more pain than necessary, she gently bit into his skin. She could feel his sharp intake of breath at the gesture and she heard a slight gasp escape his lips, as she began to drink the leaking liquid. His blood tasted exquisite, delicious,...Elena couldn't find the correct term to use. It tasted like the vintage, perfectly aged wine that she had only once before indulged upon, as a human.

As she drank, she realized just why drinking from another vampire was 'euphoric.' She could sense him in every corner of her mind and she could feel everything that he feeling, from his pleasure to his pain. It was like they were truly connected as one being. She greedily drank and sucked on the wound until she felt him gently prying her loose. She made a noise of protest, not wanting to end the meal so quickly, but she allowed him to pull back.

It was then that she realized their awkward positioning, she was straddling his legs and he held her tightly in his arms. But even with this realization, she found that she couldn't bring herself to feel embarrassed. As she sat there staring into his eyes, darkened with some unknown emotion, she did the one thing that neither of them expected or anticipated. She leaned forward and captured his lips in a hungry, passionate kiss.

**VVV**

**They finally kissed! Don't worry, I'm not going to just randomly and magically throw them together and have them live happily ever after. After all, Elena might just regret that kiss...or will she? What do you think will happen? **

**Okay, on another note, I know I'm a horrible person for waiting this long to update, but my brain simply refused to indulge in anything story related for a while. Then season 4, episode 2 happened with the whole the blood sharing idea and I just couldn't resist. In fact, the greater part of this chapter was written in the wee hours of the morning, when I just couldn't go to sleep for the ideas bouncing around in my mind. So the above long chapter is a result of inspiration and insomnia. Oh, and the title comes from "Let's Get Lost" by Beck and Bat for Lashes. **

**What do you all think of the new season so far? Are you as hyped about Elijah's return (when ever it may be) as I am? I know every time I watch, I check the names of the cast as they come on the screen and mentally say, "Come on, show me Daniel Gillies!" But I digress, nothing of him yet...can't wait till episode 4 though, for that flashback...Anyway, enough of my ramblings. **

**THANK YOU- hazelheart93, xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx, Samantha-Chelsea, SoUtHeRnBeLLe706, Katerina998877, Carlos Diaz III, siberia21, Caroline(Guest), KatieMarrie, Mari Wollsch, MagicalMemories, Scary-little-elf21, mandymichelle87, lets-not-go-there, Selena Angel, ErinCullen, FicLove29, abarth917, imagine808, TWD, SharonF, Gini Justice, TwistedInferno, fayedecouck, and HeartNimbus, for all of the feedback! Thank you all very, very much! **


	8. Chapter 8 Creeping In My Soul

**VVV**

**Chapter 8- Creeping In My Soul**

Elijah was thoroughly surprised by the bold move from Elena, but he found himself enjoying her kiss regardless. He could taste his own blood lingering on her lips and found it to be quite...erotic. Her hands cupped his face and ran through his hair, as her mouth moved fervently against his own.

He flipped their positions, her back was now against the cushions of the sofa while he hovered over her, never breaking their embrace. However, their kiss was broken by Elena's startled gasp. It was then, and only then, that Elijah realized that it all had most likely been an after effect of the blood sharing and nothing more. Yet he had uncharacteristically allowed himself to be swept away in the thoughtless emotion of the moment.

"My apologies, Elena." he whispered, beginning to untangle himself from her arms.

"What just happened?" she asked, looking up at him from where she lay, a little dazed.

"It...It was nothing, I'm sure." he stuttered. "A typical result of what just occurred between us."

Elena finally began to feel embarrassed, even though she had sort of enjoyed the kiss, "I'm so sorry, Elijah. I crossed a line, I shouldn't have..."

"It is fine, Elena." Elijah found himself whispering, though he felt his stomach flop at her denial.

Either she was hallucinating or Elena had just heard a slight amount of hurt in his voice. She shakily sat up, running her hand over her lips that were still tingling from his kiss. "Elijah..." she began, only to have him interrupt her.

"Pardon me, Elena, but I must go and change." he said quickly, gesturing to his now blood stained shirt. She nodded as he rose and walked out of the room.

As soon as he was out of sight, Elena buried her face in her hands, entirely frustrated with herself. 'How could I do that?' she wondered.

An uneasy silence settled over the room in Elijah's wake and she suddenly found the parlor stifling. The need to get out of the house and get some fresh air overwhelmed her. Whether she was subconsciously putting distance between she and Elijah or not, she didn't know...she just needed to go. She sped to the front hall, threw the door open and ran out into the dwindling sunlight.

**VVV**

Elijah sat in his room, on the side of his bed, running a hand over his weary face, his fingers touching his lips where he could still feel the ghostlike impression of her sweet mouth. He closed his eyes whilst taking a deep breath, trying and failing to calm his shot nerves.

'How could I allow that to occur?' he abraded himself, shaking his head, as he listened to her leave the house. He wanted so badly to go after her but he knew that at that moment, she more than likely just wanted to be alone.

Thinking back, he found that he couldn't bring himself to regret the kiss, in fact he had enjoyed it immensely, but it hurt to know that Elena probably didn't feel the same. He knew that he cared for her, deeply. He hadn't felt that way about anyone since Tatia. She had been his first love. But his feelings for her had consumed him so entirely that he hadn't realized that he wasn't the only man whose attention she had garnered.

Niklaus had also taken notice of her and had began wooing her behind Elijah's back. When he did realize what was happening, he and Klaus had fought viciously many times. Sadly their feud had resulted in Tatia's death sentence. Their mother had killed her before she could choose either of them.

He had came close to feeling those emotions again five hundred years later with Katerina. She had seemed so innocent and pure and he had been taken in by the copied face of his past love. But he soon came to find exactly what kind of person she had been and still was. He had implored her to trust him and she had refused, betraying him instead.

Just what was it about the Petrova's that he found so irresistible? He couldn't answer. With his past experiences he should think that he would have sworn them off indefinitely...but then he had met Elena. It was true that, at first, she had been nothing more than a pawn in his plan to kill Klaus. Then he had actually taken the time to get to know her, talk with her, and he found her to be truly the redeemer of the Petrova bloodline.

She possessed the good qualities of Tatia's personality and she embodied the innocence that he had once attributed to Katerina. Yet Elena was herself, granted she was like her predecessors, but she had her own ways and quirks about her that made her truly unique. Her compassion, for instance, was something that he could honestly say was hers and hers alone. She would do anything for her family and friends and he could certainly sympathize with that. All of this was the reason that he had came to greatly and deeply care for her.

Yet he knew that more than likely nothing would ever result of the emotion. The Salvatore's had her wrapped much too tightly around their fingers for her to even consider a relationship with him. But he could always hope and, after a thousand years, he had come to find that hope was often the only thing that someone like him had left.

**VVV**

Elena strolled through the woods surrounding Elijah's home. It was after dusk, the dim light leftover from the day threw long shadows on the ground as the nocturnal creatures began to awaken for the night. Elena listened as an owl hooted in the distance and the crickets began to sing their soothing song.

Unfortunately, she couldn't be soothed.

'Was the kiss really only a result of drinking Elijah's blood or was it something that had been a long time coming?' she asked herself, folding her arms as she leaned against the trunk of a pine, staring up at the emerging stars. She knew that she loved the Salvatore's, it was true that they both held an undeniable place in her heart.

Stefan had been her first 'true' love. She had seen the good in him when he couldn't see it himself and, sadly over the past several months, she had also unfortunately saw the bad. But when he was himself and not 'The Ripper', he was the sweetest, most caring, loving, considerate man. And that was one of the many reasons why he had managed to capture her heart.

Then there was Damon. He was entirely different from his brother- cynical, sarcastic, and, at times, cold and aloof, but he challenged her in ways that Stefan didn't. She had cared for him and during Stefan's absence that emotion had quickly grown into love. A feeling which Damon reciprocated tenfold.

But Elena constantly reminded herself that to love one would be to hurt the other and neither one of them deserved to be treated like that. She didn't want to be that kind of person, regardless of how she felt. She didn't want to be another Katherine, one of the many banes of her life. Her doppelgänger had certainly done quite a number on the Salvatore's and she was still an issue of bitterness and regret between them.

Whilst drudging up unwanted thoughts of Katherine, Elena came to the abrupt realization that if she hadn't resembled her so closely, the brother's might very well have overlooked her. So when it all was boiled down, her love life with Stefan and Damon centered around the apparent irresistible lure of the Petrova doppelgänger. 'Would they have even given me a second look if I had had a different face?' was the question nagging her mind.

During her very first meeting with Damon he had thought her to be Katherine and the same was true for Stefan. He had only moved back into town and started school because he had been intrigued by her appearance. Also there was the fact that no matter what she convinced herself, the brothers would always have a soft spot for Katherine, regardless if they denied it.

They had loved her once upon a time and Elena didn't believe that a love like that could merely shrivel and die the way that they had made it seem. She also knew that Katherine still loved Stefan and that he, in his own way, still cared for her...otherwise Elena was certain that he would have staked her long ago.

She sighed, shaking her head, things would have been so much easier if she hadn't been a doppelgänger. Running a hand through her breeze disheveled hair, she turned her thoughts back to a certain original. Elijah. She thoughtfully touched her lips at the memory of their kiss. The way he had embraced her, welcomed her touch,...she couldn't describe what had passed between them but it had felt intensely poignant.

Of course she knew that the only reason that she had ever met Elijah, as with the Salvatore's, was because of her Petrova ancestry. But he had always managed to see past her face and just see her. Not Katherine, not Tatia, _her._ From the moment that they had first gazed curiously, or frightfully in her case, at one another across the expanse of the room in that old abandoned house, there had been a spark between them. A spark that, if kindled, she knew could very well result in a fiery passionate affair...if their kiss had been any way to judge.

She had often found herself contemplating what it would be like to really get to know him. He had always had an air of mystery and intrigue about him that was inherently alluring and, dare she say, sexy. At times, like when he had trapped her in the caves, he could be cold and ruthless. Then at other moments, she could definitely see a glimpse of compassion and consideration flash in his dark eyes. Like a rough cut diamond, he had many extraordinary facets that, when combined, had created such an amazing person...vampire or not.

When they had made their first deal, she had merely thought of him as an ally and then later, on rare occasions, a friend. But then he had left that ever confusing letter behind. The letter that she had read over and over again, continuously puzzling at the words- '_Always and Forever._' She didn't know why, but that phrase felt so inexplicably meaningful and yet she had no idea what he had meant by it.

She knew that she really needed to level with him about the kiss, but she didn't exactly know what to say or do in order to do that. So alternatively, with the words '_always and forever_' filling her thoughts and in the still lingering thrill of their forbidden kiss, Elena suddenly resolved to find out exactly what he had meant. Either way she found herself slowly drifting back toward the house. She walked thoughtlessly through the front door and, before she could lose her sudden confidence, climbed the stairs to follow Elijah.

Standing outside his cracked bedroom door, she could see inside. He stood with his back to the entrance, stripped of his shirt, having already changed into his usual dress pants. She could see his lean muscles rippling as he sorted through his closet, no doubt looking for yet another dress shirt.

She raised her hand to knock, but before her knuckles hit the wood, he called out to her, "You can come in, Elena." he said, still keeping his back to her while reaching for a crisp white shirt.

Using her vampire speed, she quietly pushed open the door and sped over until she was stood directly behind him. Before he could put his chosen shirt on, Elena found that she couldn't resist reaching out to touch the skin of his back, whether it was meant a soothing, friendly gesture or not, she didn't know. But having never seen him in such a state of undress, her fingers curiously traced several of the scars she found there. He stiffened at the contact.

"Elena." he whispered in warning.

She didn't say a word, but stepped around him to stand toe to toe, staring into his fathomless eyes. Her hand was now placed over the bare skin of his chest, underneath which his heart beat rhythmically beneath her palm.

"Elijah." she breathed, closing her eyes, unable to voice her next words with the intensity of his gaze focused upon her. "There is something that I've been meaning to ask you. I never got the chance before...when you showed up at my house." she said.

She pried her eyes open to find confusion and curiosity in his own. He pulled on the shirt, leaving the front partially unbuttoned, so that her hand remained in contact with his skin. However wrong it may have been, he couldn't bring himself to put an end the gesture. "And what might the question be?" he asked, quietly.

"The evening you left, after trapping me in the tunnels with Rebekah, you left me a letter..." she reminded him, hesitating for the briefest of moments.

Of all the sentences for her to utter, a mention of the letter hadn't been what he had expected in the least. In fact, he much rather figured that she came to discuss the kiss and vehemently deny it in the process. But he nodded anyway, silently telling her to continue.

"In the letter," she continued. "you said that I was the one person who could understand what it is like to do anything to save one's family...and I do. I had forgiven you for your actions before I even read what you had written. But then, at the end, you said, 'Always and Forever.' What did you mean by that?" she asked, hoping and praying that she wasn't reading too far into things.

A small smile played on Elijah's lips, "What do you believe that I meant, Elena?" he asked, whispering.

"I don't know, Elijah." she said, shaking her head.

"I hadn't any idea that a simple kiss would awaken such curiosity." he said, smirking, his tone somewhat bitter.

"I've puzzled over it since I found the letter." she clarified, shyly avoiding his eyes, staring instead at the puckered flesh beneath her hand, over his heart. "It just seems like something that _you_ wouldn't say without it having a meaning."

He quirked a brow, stepping away from her, making a show of buttoning his shirt,"It is a significant phrase to me, Elena." he explained. He was distancing himself, trying to regain some form of composure. "One that I rarely say."

She pointedly didn't respond, just simply waited for him to continue.

"It is my way of swearing an oath of loyalty, Elena. I swore it to Niklaus shortly after we were turned...of course, I was forced to break that oath five hundred years ago. When it came to you, however,...it was my way of saying to you that, no matter what I have done to you or regardless of the manner of our relationship- be it friends or...otherwise, I will care for and cherish you and your friendship...always and forever." he explained.

Elena stared openly at him, her jaw hanging open. She was speechless and beyond touched. His words took her back to before the sacrifice when he had so gallantly found a way to save her life. Given that the elixir had been created for Katherine but Elena knew that Elijah could have very well kept its existence to himself and let her die, but he hadn't.

Of course that had been ruined by Damon's compulsiveness, but the meaning was still there in Elijah's actions. But to have him make such an oath to her, even without her knowledge and especially when she couldn't possibly fathom why, brought tears of joy to her eyes.

"I don't know what to say." she said.

"You do not have to say anything. Just know that my oaths are much like my deals...once I make one, I keep it...regardless of the consequences." he explained.

She nodded, suddenly feeling the need to hug him, but was afraid it would be the wrong thing to do given the circumstances. So, instead, she smiled a small smile. It quickly faded, however, as she began her next words, "Elijah, about earlier..." she began, her brow furrowed.

"As I said, it is fine, Elena. Think nothing of it." he replied shortly, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves.

Her mouth snapped shut at his clipped tone and she found herself nodding again, surprisingly feeling somewhat hurt.

Sensing that he might have unintentionally caused her distress, Elijah changed the subject, "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Elena sighed, knowing that most likely the question was his way of avoiding the previous topic. "Definitely not as thirsty as I usually feel." she explained, sitting herself down on his window seat. She realized that the night that they had made their first deal was mirrored in an odd sort of way, only their places were reversed.

He nodded at her words, folding his arms.

"I never said thank you." she said. "I know it must have taken quite a bit of contemplation of your part to allow me to do what I did."

His features softened for a brief second, "You are welcome, Elena." he said. "It was the least I could do after everything that I have put you through in the past."

She nodded, uncertain as to what to say next. An awkward silence settled between them, as they stared at one another across the room. "Well, I believe that I'll go shower and go to bed." she said, eventually. "It's been a rather exhausting day." In truth, she just needed an excuse to leave the room and the awkwardness behind.

"That it has." he agreed.

"Good night, Elijah." she said, walking past him and out the door.

"Good night," he whispered. "Elena."

**VVV**

The woman awoke in the midst of the forest, her dark eyes taking in her surroundings. Even in the darkness, she could easily recognize the place where her home, as well as an entire town, had once stood. Raising to her feet, she began to walk. She knew where she was going. She could feel the power of the hunter nearby and she would need his help if she were to fulfill the purpose of her return.

He was powerful. Granted he was no where near as powerful as a servant of nature, but when his small amount of magic combined with his hunting abilities he could do many a great and terrible things. He had used his limited power along with the help of the spirits to bring her back to earth, so that she might aid him in their mutual duty.

She soon found his campsite and, whilst standing outside the ring of light created by the fire, she studied him. He sat beside the flames, carving the symbol of his brotherhood into one of his many wooden stakes.

"You are strong, Connor Jordan." she said in her grave voice, stepping forward into the orange glow. At the sound of her voice, he stood, turning toward her as she walked to the fireside. He didn't say anything as she took the stake from his hands, "I fear that this will not do for the task we have been charged with." she said, turning the piece of wood over in her hands.

"Then what will we need?" Connor asked, after a few moments.

"A white oak stake." she said.

"And where could I find such a thing?"

"You shall have to ask one Damon Salvatore." she replied.

"Why did you lead me here and why did you have me bring you back?" he wondered.

"Because Esther, the creator of the creatures, failed to do what was necessary to rid this world of the evil that is vampires. The spirits sent me here to fulfill what was her duty. And you...you shall help me."

"I will do what I must," he replied, bowing his head. "Ayanna."

**VVV**

**So that's chapter 8! I was a little nervous when it came to posting this one. I was afraid that Elena and Elijah might seem out of character...but I hopefully I done them justice and their reactions were correct. **

**As you just read I decided to incorporate Connor and Ayanna into the mix, if you hadn't already guessed about the latter from Bonnie's dream. Ayanna was Esther's mentor, so I believe that she could prove to be a formidable opponent and a potentially great threat. Then throw Connor into the mix and things just might get a little...rough for the residents of Mystic Falls. **

**What do you think should happen? What do you think of the latest additions? And also, what did you think of the Elejah scene? Too cheesy? Too out of character? Let me know! Oh, and the title of this chapter comes from the song, 'Creeping In My Soul' by Cryoshell.**

**Before I move on to the thank you section, I would like to suggest a story to all of you- it's called 'Hiding' by Ms. 'Lijah. Luvr . I'm acting as her beta and from what I've read so far, it's really good. So go check it out! She deserves more reviews than what she has. Now that I've done my campaigning...**

**THANK YOU- hazelheart93, lilylulurose, frequentlykerry, SoUtHeRnBeLLe706, xxsabsexx, malaleen, PhoenixHalliwell13, LucyEdwardz, MrsMaeveSalvatore-Mikaelson, ChloeMumford, BinksSaysRawr, Bitumz, giveheratriffid, cwatker222, hannahizar, xxHawkeye, Hua Ming Miao, iloveRookieBlue, Sasuke346Z, damonenelenafan, romeondjuliet4-ever, Reds86, Midnight's Bloom, AshEnigma, Victoria Jenkins, sarafina89, kagomsessh1, Isabellangel326, angelus1one1, RedSox604, GraceTakeARisk, and harrylee94, for all of the feedback! Reviews, favorites, and follows are very appreciated! Keep them coming! **


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